2010 - Long Island Herpetological Society

Transcription

HERPETOFAUNA
Journal
Support the LIHS
JOIN / RENEW
NOW
Membership
$25.00
of the
Long Island Herpetological Society, Inc.
May - September 2010
Volume 20, Issue 5 - 9
21st Annual LIHS Reptile & Amphibian Show
October 09th, 2010
See pages 5 - 12
NEXT LIHS MEETING: Sunday, September 26th, 2010
Glenn Bartley: “Herping in Arizona”
TOPIC
Page
Presidents Message – Fall 2010
Joining / Renewing Your LIHS Membership
2
2
Gut Loading
LIHS Executive Board & Contact Information
3
3
LIHS Executive Board Nominations / Elections
3
Don’t Mess with My Pet
4
st
TOPIC
Page
Blacksnake in the Yard
Ultraviolet Radiation Not Culprit Killing Amphibians, Research Shows
A Long Drink of Water
Humans Could One Day Re-Grow Limbs Like
Amphibians, Thanks to Gene Discovery
Rochester's 'Jumping Frog Lab' Part Of Worldwide Feat Decoding Xenopus tropicalis
Pesticide Atrazine Can Turn Male Frogs into
Females
Cane Toads Killing Australian Crocs
Zimbabwe: Villagers Pin Hopes On Crocodiles
47
48
70
35
Did a horned lizard really survive for 31 years
inside a cornerstone?
Solar Showdown in Calif. Tortoises’ Desert
Home
Did You Know That….?
36
39
40
46
LIHS at CSHFHA Herp Day
The Herp Marketplace
LIHS MEETING DATES & INFORMATION
77
79
80
86
LIHS 21 Annual Reptile & Amphibian Show
The Anti Pyramid Scheme – Promoting Smooth
Shell Growth
Jumpin’ Jiminy! Virus Silences Cricket Farm
5
13
Biologists Find Proof of First Confirmed Species of
Monogamous Frog
Coral Snake Antivenom Shortage Has Many Concerned
Turtle “Super Tongue” Discovered
LIHS At Camp Farmingdale
Literature & Media Reviews
Scientists Find Key To Rattlers' Infrared Sight
34
31
49
57
59
62
65
66
73
76
Presidents Message
Fall 2010
W
ell, Summer is officially over (but luckily the warm weather will persist into the next few
weeks) then before we know it, the fall will be upon us. This means that the LIHS will go
back to its regular monthly meetings & it will be business as usual for all of on the board.
We are currently now setting up the Meeting schedule & events for 2010 & 2011 and should have
another great year of Speakers lined up for our membership.
Our main event for the year (The Annual LIHS Reptile Show) is just around the corner and will
be on Saturday October 9th. This will be our 21st time having this event and for the first time in our history the LIHS board ( and membership ) were all polled & agreed to make our show a “Captive Bred &
Born “ only event. As the LIHS is a strong advocate of proper Reptile care, we have all learned that captive bred & born Herps make the best pets. Therefore all of the vendors will have to also only display or
sell captive bred reptiles. I personally think it’s a great idea as with all of the political and environmental issues we are facing – the captive breeding of reptiles (and most pets) is best for the keepers, the
animals & the environment.
I look forward to seeing you all soon at our monthly. And kindly let us know ( the LIHS board ) if
you are available to volunteer at any of our events since we can always use your help.
Thank you,
Vin Russo
President
LIHS
JOINING the LIHS or RENEWING an LIHS Membership
You can JOIN the LIHS or RENEW an LIHS Membership in several manners. Join or Renew at a meeting
or LIHS Event or MAIL your completed LIHS MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION with $25.00 payment ( cash [ meetings only ], check or money order ) made to the LIHS.
Not sure if your RENEWAL is due?? Email me at < Gojiira@Optonline.net >
Print out an LIHS membership application from our website at:
http://www.lihs.org/files/member.htm or “CLICK” on LIHS MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Fill it out and bring to a meeting or mail it to:
LIHS
476 North Ontario Avenue
Lindenhurst, New York 11757-3909
As ALL LIHS JOURNALS will now be sent ELECTRONICALLY, so, PLEASE make sure
that I have your EMAIL ADDRESS when you join or renew.
LIHS Herpetofauna Journal ~ May/September 2010 Volume 20, Issue 5-9 ~ www.LIHS.org Page 2
GUT LOADING
Hi All,
A couple of quick items… THANKS to the following LIHS members who took time out to
represent the LIHS at Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium Herp Day: Harry Faustmann, John
Heiser, Ed Vega ( and his significant other ), Kirk and Jesse Peters, the Dunlops: Clara, Noelle, Will and
Jamie, Wayne King, Tara Noseworthy-Ferraro ( and her significant other ). THANKS GUYS ( and LADIES )
– MUCH APPRECIATED.
Thanks to everyone who attended and/or donated items at the 2nd LIHS Auction on June 13th.
Your support, along with the many companies that donated items ( which I will list later ) made it a
huge success.
Don’t forget, It is that of time of year again… The 21st ANNUAL LIHS Reptile and Amphibian
Show rapidly approaches ( October 09th, 2010 ) …………. and we NEEEEEEEED “YOUR” HELP!!!! DON’T
FORGET TO ENTER YOUR ANIMALS IN THE JUDGED SHOW… Please see page 5 - 12; and VOLUNTEER…
Rich Meyer, Jr.
LIHS Editor
LIHS Executive Board 2009 / 2010
Contact the LIHS
President:
Vice-President:
2nd Vice-President:
Secretary:
Sergeant-at-Arms:
Treasurer:
Programs Coordinator:
Herpetofauna Editor:
Web:
www.LIHS.org
E-mail:
info@LIHS.org
Tel:
( 631 ) 884-5447
Vin Russo
John Heiser
Kirk Peters
Ed Bennett
Mike Russo
Rich Hume
Rich Meyer, Jr.
Rich Meyer, Jr.
Mail: 476 North Ontario Avenue
2010/2011 LIHS Executive Board Nominations / Elections
2010 / 2011 LIHS Executive Board nominations are open as of the September 2010 meeting. Nominations will be held at the September and October 2010. Persons nominated must be a member in
good standing and must accept the nomination and be seconded. If nominated, and an individual cannot attend the monthly meeting, they may submit a letter in writing of acceptance prior to the September/October monthly meetings, or within a week after the nomination. The individual must still be
seconded. Elections will be held at the November 2010 monthly meeting.
Don’t Mess
with
My Pet™
Protect responsible pet ownership
Since 1970, the Pet Industry Joint Advisory
Council (PIJAC) has protected pets and the pet industry – promoting responsible pet ownership and animal welfare, fostering environmental stewardship, and ensuring the availability of pets. PIJAC members
include retailers, companion animal suppliers, manufacturers, wholesale distributors, manufacturers’
representatives, pet hobbyist groups, and other trade organizations. Through the combined voice of
these people, PIJAC serves the best interests of the entire pet industry. For more information, please
visit www.pijac.org.
You love your pet. You take good care of your pet. How would you feel if the government tried
to limit your ability to have pets in your life? ...Angry? ...Scared? ...Betrayed? ...Well, it’s happening.
Each year, local, state and federal governments propose thousands of laws that would restrict
your ability to own pets – to include pets as vital members of your family. While we believe that some
regulations are warranted to ensure that pets are well care for, we also believe that responsible pet
ownership should be applauded, supported, and encouraged, not limited!
Unfortunately, many government officials don’t understand how their bills might affect you,
the responsible pet owner. Furthermore, they may be basing their decisions on propaganda that, while
it seems to call for better pet care, is actually part of an agenda to end pet ownership.
Help us protect responsible pet ownership by defending you and your pets against misdirected
and poorly crafted legislation.
Support the “Don’t Mess with My Pet™” campaign by becoming a Member of the Pet Industry
Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC). Your $25 contribution you will help us guard responsible pet ownership…on behalf of you and your non-human family members. As a thank you from us, you’ll receive a
free campaign t-shirt.
Visit these links:

"Don't Mess With My Pet" Video

"Don't Mess With My Pet" Website or http://www.dontmesswithmypet.org/

PIJAC Government Affairs or http://www.pijac.org/governmentaffairs/
Hi to One and All,
It is that of time of year again… The 20th ANNUAL LIHS Reptile and Amphibian Show rapidly approaches ( October 09th, 2010 ) …………. and we NEEEEEEEED “YOUR” HELP!!!!
This show isn’t about the LIHS Executive Board ( or our family members who really aren’t as
passionate about reptiles as we are, but CHOOSE to HELP ), a few individuals or myself…
This show is about the LIHS, that is you, me, all of us….
So, please Volunteer
We need VOLUNTEERS!!!
Friday Night – October 08th, 2010 – ( 6:30 PM )
 Setup the hall: tables, stanchions, and chairs…
o ( It should take no longer than 1-½ hours )
We will have PIZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZA and Soda
Saturday Morning – October 09th, 2010 – ( 7:30 AM )




Help VENDORS
Make sure the VENDORs move their cars off the grass after they unload
Work the LIHS Table ( up-front ). You lucky dawgs, you’ll get to work with me
Keep a general eye out ( security )….
Saturday Breakdown – October 09th, 2010 – ( 4:00 PM ):
 Breakdown the tables, stanchions and chairs
o ( putting them on a cart ) – this doesn’t take all that long
If you can help.. Email me at: Gojiira@Optonline.net ( preferred method ) or
call ( 631 ) 884-5447 ( leave a message )
Thanks for your time,
Rich Meyer, Jr
LIHS Programs Coordinator
A NYS Registered
Non-Profit Organization
Profits benefit L.I.H.S. Supported Programs including
Educational Programs & Environmental Causes
21st Annual LIHS
Equipment
Reptiles & Amphibians
On Sale
CAPTIVES ONLY
EDUCATIONAL
EXHIBITS
Reptile & Amphibian Expo
October 09th, 2010 ( Saturday )
Roosevelt Hall ~ Farmingdale State College
Farmingdale, New York
( Located on ROUTE 110, Melville Road ENTRANCE )
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Live Reptiles, Equipment, Books, Caging on Sale
LIHS Judged Reptile/Amphibian Show - Trophies, Ribbons
( Call for INFO to ENTER SHOW - see Box Below )
For additional information regarding:



The LIHS EXPO / VENDOR
TABLE
Entering the LIHS R/A SHOW
The LIHS



TEL: ( 631 ) 884-5447
Web: www.LIHS.org
Email: Gojiira@Optonline.net
Long Island
ADMISSION
Adults.................................
$6.00
Children & Seniors.............
$4.00
LIHS Members...................
$3.00 *
Children under 5................. FREE
FSC Students…………………. $3.00 *
FSC Faculty…………………….. $3.00 *
* Must be a “Current” LIHS Member
* Must have “Current” Student I.D.
Herpetological
Society,Faculty
Inc. I.D.
* Must have “Current”
476 North Ontario Avenue
Tel: 631- 884-LIHS
Web: www.LIHS.org
September 24, 2010
To Our Members and Prospective Vendors,
The reason I am writing to you is that the LIHS is preparing to hold its 21st Annual LIHS Reptile
& Amphibian Expo/Show. The difference in this year’s show is that we ( the LIHS Executive Board and a
membership poll ) have decided to make this year’s ( and all future ) expo/show a CAPTIVE BRED/BORN
“ONLY” Expo/Show. Therefore, all vendors may ONLY sell CAPTIVE BRED/Born animals at the show.
This was not done without great deliberation, but as we all know, CAPTIVE BORN and BRED animals tend to fare better in captivity than most wild-collected animals. As the LIHS often serves as a gateway for those entering the reptile hobby, and in order to promote the hobby better, the LIHS Executive Board along with a consensus vote taken at one of our monthly meetings, we have decided that it
is in the best interest not only of the LIHS, but the reptile hobby as well to make our ANNUAL LIHS Reptile & Amphibian Expo/Show a “CAPTIVE ONLY” one.
If you have any questions regarding the CAPTIVE BRED/BORN policy, please contact us at the following:

Tel: 631-884-5447 ( please leave a message )

Email: Gojiira@Optonline.Net

Email: info@LIHS.org
I THANK YOU in advance for your time and continued support.
Sincerely yours,
Richard Meyer, Jr.
LIHS Programs Coordinator/Editor
Gojiira@Optonline.net
21st Annual LIHS REPTILE & AMPHIBIAN SHOW/ EXPO VENDOR APPLICATION
SATURDAY, October 09th, 2010 ~ 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Roosevelt Hall ~ State University of New York at Farmingdale ~ Farmingdale, New York
6-FOOT TABLES -- $55.00 each
1. ALL TABLES MUST BE PREPAID / NO SPLITTING of TABLES
2. CAPTIVE BRED ANIMALS ONLY
3. All animals must be PROPERLY HOUSED, IN CLEAN CONTAINERS & HEALTHY
4. NO SALES of herp species indigenous to New York State
5. NO SALES of herp species restricted by recently passed NYS law. (Includes all crocodilians,
venomous, various large Boids such as Reticulated, Burmese and, African Rock Pythons;
Anacondas, and large monitors such as Nile, Black-Throat and White-Throat Monitors.)
6. NO SALES of Aquatic / or / Semi-Aquatic Turtles under 4-inches carapace length.
7. NO SALES of Terrapene species ( North American Box turtles )
8. NO SALE of MAMMALS ( other than rodents listed below – see # 10 )
9. LIVE RODENTS ( no older than hoppers ) will be PERMITTED ( SECURELY HOUSED ONLY )
10. ARACHNIDS / SCORPIONS / MILLIPEDES ARE PERMISSIBLE
11. NO PROTECTED OR ENDANGERED SPECIES WITHOUT PROPER PERMITS
12. NO REFUNDS AFTER September 30th, 2010
13. TABLES NOT OCCUPIED BY 11:00 AM MAY BE RESOLD ( NO REFUND TO ORIGINAL PURCHASER )
14. VENDORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COLLECTING NYS SALES TAX ( 8.50% )
15. ALL SALES are BETWEEN Vendor and Customer - ONLY Registered Vendors MAY SELL at the show
SET-UP TIME: 7:30 AM ~ 2 FREE PASSES PER TABLE
Info: ( 631 ) 884-LIHS; Web site at WWW.LIHS.ORG; email < Gojiira@Optonline.net >
Contact Person – Rich Meyer, Jr.
CUT ON THIS LINE
PLEASE RESERVE
(
PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY
) TABLE(s) x $55.00 = $
Please make all CHECKS/ MONEY ORDERS Payable to: Long Island Herpetological Society (LIHS)
Mail all payments to: LIHS, 476 NORTH ONTARIO AVENUE, LINDENHURST, NEW YORK 11757-3909
NAME OF COMPANY/NAME OF OWNER
NAME OF OWNER
ADDRESS
CITY
STATE
PHONE (
)
Area code
I,
Email:
ZIP
@
Web:
agree to abide by the rules set above. Non-compliance of the above
( Name ) rules may result in forfeiture of my table reservation (payment included) and expulsion from
the show
Signature
NEW YORK Department of Environmental Conservation
Division of Fish and Wildlife, 50 Wolf Road, Albany, NY 12233
Phone: (518) 457-0689
ENDANGERED:






Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)
Bog Turtle (Clemmys muhlenbergi)
Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Atlantic Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)
Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus)
THREATENED:






Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans)
Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum)
Blanding's Turtle (Emydoidea blandingi)
Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)
SPECIES OF SPECIAL CONCERN:





Blue-spotted Salamander
Diamondback Terrapin
Eastern Hognose Snake
Hellbender
Jefferson Salamander





Southern Leopard Frog
Spotted Salamander
Spotted Turtle
Wood Turtle
Worm Snake
REGULATIONS:

Endangered or Threatened species may not be collected, possessed or sold without a license. Special
concern species do not receive similar protection. Box turtles (Terrapene ssp.) and Wood Turtles (Clemmys insculpta) receive protection as Game Species with no open season. Neither species may be collected or possessed without a license.

No person shall liberate any species except under permit. No reptiles may be collected in the state without a license. Licenses will only be issued for propagation, scientific, or exhibition purposes. Unprotected
species may be possessed without a license provided they were legally obtained. The Department's policy is not to issue a Scientific Collector's License to individuals who wish to keep protected species as
pets.

Public Health Law regulates the sale of unprotected turtles in New York. Aquatic or Semi-aquatic turtles
with a carapace length UNDER 4-inches MAY NOT BE SOLD. Aquatic or Semi-aquatic turtles WITH A
CARAPACE length GREATER than four inches MAY BE SOLD.

Diamondback Terrapin may be taken from August 1-April 30 with a Diamondback Terrapin License. Diamondbacks with a carapace length less than four inches or greater than seven inches are not allowed
to be taken.

NO CROCODYLIA (e.g., caimans, alligators, crocodiles) may be sold or displayed without a proper permit.

NO FEDERALLY PROTECTED SPECIES may be sold or displayed without a proper permit.
NORTHERN STATE PKWY
ROUTE 495 - L.I.E.
N

SUNY

S
Farmingdale
ROUTE 110
ENTRANCE
MELVILLE ROAD
to ROOSEVELT HALL
BUILDING 42
SOUTHERN STATE PKWY
MELVILLE ROAD
ROUTE 27 - SUNRISE HIGHWAY
DIRECTIONS:

SOUTHERN STATE - Take Southern State Parkway to
EXIT 32N ( ROUTE 110 ). Take Route 110 north 3
miles to Melville Road. Make a left onto Melville Road.
Follow to College Entrance.

SUNRISE HIGHWAY ( ROUTE 27 ) - Take Sunrise
Highway to BROADWAY EXIT north ( a.k.a. ROUTE
110 ) in Amityville. Take Route 110 north 6-8 miles to
Melville Road. Make a left onto Melville Road. Follow
to College Entrance.

NORTHERN STATE - Take Northern State Parkway to
EXIT 40S ( ROUTE 110 ). Take ROUTE 110 south 3
miles to Melville Road. Make a right onto Melville Road.
Follow to College Entrance.

LONG ISLAND EXPRESSWAY ( INTERSTATE ROUTE 495 ) - Take the L.I.E. to EXIT
49S ( ROUTE 110 ). Take ROUTE 110 approximately 2 miles to Melville Road. Make a right
onto Melville Road. Follow to College Entrance.
OUT of STATE & COMMERCIAL PLATE VEHICLES -Take INTERSTATE ROUTE
495 ( Long Island Expressway ) or ROUTE 27 ( Sunrise Highway ) once you reach Long Island.
TRAIN - from Penn Station. Take the Ronkonkoma line to Farmingdale. Take Taxi from train (
1½ miles )


LIHS Herpetofauna Journal ~ May / September 2010 Vol. 20, Issue 5 - 9 ~ www.LIHS.org Page 10
2010 LIHS Reptile & Amphibian Show Entry Form
Name:
Address:
City:
Phone
State:
Email:
Zip:
Area Code
PLEASE BRING with YOU to the SHOW
# ( we will fill in )
Common Name
Scientific Name
( if Known )
Category
( we will fill in )
2010 LIHS Reptile & Amphibian Categories
SNAKES
1. Colubrid (American rat snakes, Corn snakes, Kingsnakes, Pine snakes, Gophers, etc.)
2. Tri or Bi color Colubrid (Grey bands, Milk snakes, etc.)
3. Boas & Pythons
4. Miscellaneous Snakes (Garters, etc.)
LIZARDS
5. Monitors & Tegus
9. Skinks
6. Iguanids
10. Chameleons
7. Green Iguanas
11. Geckos
8. Agamids
12. Miscellaneous Lizards
TURTLES & TORTOISES
13. Aquatic
14. Semi-Aquatic
15. Tortoises
AMPHIBIANS
16. Frogs & Toads
17. Salamanders, Newts, Sirens, etc
KIDS OPEN CATEGORY
(13 & under)
Same categories and rules as above apply
Kid’s Entry Winners will receive:

Ribbons: TOP 3 Winners in each category

Trophies: Overall “BEST ENTRIES” - ( TOP 3 from KIDS OPEN CATEGORY )
Kid’s ENTRIES CANNOT be entered in the ADULT CATEGORY as well
THE ANTI PYRAMID SCHEME
PROMOTING SMOOTH SHELL GROWTH
ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY JASON ONEPPO
COURTESY OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY BRAND - HEALTHY HERP
When I started in the reptile hobby it was in its infancy, there were many unknowns and only a
few captive bred reptiles were available. I remember wondering why imported tortoises had smooth
shells and why captive raised tortoises had bumpy shells. I would ask pet shop employees why captive
bred tortoises had bumpy shells and imports didn’t, but no one ever had a sensible answer and most
would brush it off with a joke. After more research I came across a book that mentioned pyramiding of
tortoise shells. The book stated pyramiding was caused by high levels of protein in the diet, such as
feeding large quantities of dog food. Soon after I set out to read every book in the library containing information about tortoises.
Armed with an arsenal of information on raising tortoises I acquired several captive bred hatchlings and proceeded to house and feed them using methods recommended by the experts. I was determined to grow a captive bred hatchling to an adult with a smooth shell. I still ended up with pyramiding "I wonder if a tortoise with a smooth shell looks at a tortoise with a pyramiding shell and thinks
weirdo" shells! This was especially frustrating since I was doing everything thought to be necessary to
grow a smooth shell. Interestingly the forest species, fed small amounts of dog food, didn’t seem to
suffer as much pyramiding as desert species I was raising. Eventually I gave up the idea that I would be
able to grow a perfectly smooth shell on any tortoise I kept.
In the 90’s when captive bred Sulcatas flooded the market, many had pyramiding shells. Back
then people preferred Sulcatas with pyramiding shells, they thought it was just a cool looking tortoise.
If my head grew like that people would stare at me. I wonder if a tortoise with a smooth shell looks at a
tortoise with a pyramiding shell and thinks weirdo or if it would be afraid because it looks like a punk
rocker? Today we know there are many health issues related to pyramiding including weaker shells and
bones.
I hadn’t kept tortoises for about 5 or 6 years and didn’t stay up to date on their husbandry, as
my focus had shifted to frogs. It wasn’t until researching and developing reptile diets at San Francisco
Bay Brand, Inc. that I stumbled upon information that linked humidity to pyramiding. It now made
sense that the forest species, which I provided clumps of damp moss to hide in, didn’t pyramid as bad
as the desert species kept extremely dry. Most people keeping tortoises don’t provide adequate if any
humidity. Many people believe and are told that tortoises don’t require water, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
The last thing I wanted to do was develop a diet that would promote pyramiding. After reading
all available up-to-date information we prepared to set up an experiment. Before we discuss the experiment we will take a look at what pyramiding is and what is believed to be the main causes of pyramiding.
Pyramiding of tortoise shells had long been a mystery, but in recent years new discoveries have shed
much light on the topic
WHAT IS PYRAMIDING?
Pyramiding is when the shells scutes grow vertically, in the
shape of a pyramid, instead of horizontally forming a smooth shell.
WHAT CAUSES PYRAMIDING?
There are many theories as to what causes pyramiding. For
many years it was believed that improper diet & foods too high in
protein were the main contributors to pyramiding. Some experts say
lack of or inadequate levels of Calcium & UVB cause pyramiding.
Even when fed the correct diet with proper supplementation some
pyramiding will still occur. It is now believed that high protein and
improper supplementation are not the primary contributors to pyramiding, but secondary contributors that can impact how much a
shell pyramids or deforms.
"I wonder if a
tortoise with a
smooth shell
looks at a
tortoise with a
pyramiding
shell and thinks
weirdo"
Above: Plastic salad containers were used as humidified shelters, as they proved ideal for the size of
the vivariums used. Different types of container can be used to construct humidified shelters.
In the wild hatchling & juvenile tortoises are often exposed to micro climates. The humidity in
these places is much higher than that in the surrounding environment. In recent years studies show an
important factor for smooth shell growth is access to a humidity level of 80%-100% for at least the first
two years.
TESTING THE EFFECTS OF HUMIDITY
To test the theory of humidity and smooth shell growth we set up an experiment involving ten
hatchling African Spurred Tortoises ( Geochelone Sulcata ). These tortoises were chosen because they
are bullet proof and grow rapidly.
The tortoises were housed singly in 10 gallon vivariums with a peat moss & sand mix. Hay grass
was used as a top layer of bedding. Basking heat was provided with a clamp lamp and 60 watt bulb,
maintaining a daytime basking temperature of 95°F.
UV lighting was supplied using Zoo Med Reptisun 10.0 bulbs. Five of the hatchlings had dry
shelters and five had humidified shelters. The humidified shelters were lightly misted each day to help
maintain a humidity level of 80%. All tortoises were fed hydrated commercial pellets and offered cuttle
bones as an additional source of calcium. All tortoises were soaked in warm water every other day for
five minutes.
Above: Setting up the proper environment is easy. The set up is simple to maintain and observe.
We did a weekly visual inspection to check if the shells were pyramiding or growing smooth. After one month the differences in shell growth were visibly noticeable. After 6 months the differences in
shell growth were obvious from a distance. After one year we were satisfied that humidity had a direct
effect on smooth shell growth and introduced humidified shelters into all 10 terrariums, so all future
shell growth would be smooth. We raised the tortoises for a total of 4 years.
GUIDELINES FOR PROMOTING SMOOTH SHELL GROWTH
HOUSING
These guidelines are Based on a 20-gallon long vivarium ( 12x20x11 ) for hatchling tortoises.
The Following are guidelines that worked for us. As always there is more than one way to achieve the
desired results, but tortoise must have exposure to a humidity of 80% - 100% along with proper diet,
supplementation and temperatures to achieve smooth shell growth.
SUBSTRATE
Use a 2”-3” mix of soil and sand. The substrate in some areas can be covered with a layer of
grass, hay, moss or leaf litter depending on species.
HEAT
A basking area is necessary, this can be provided by using a clamp lamp and an incandescent
light bulb or a ceramic heat emitter of 75-100 watts (desired temperature will vary by species use a
reptile thermometer or heat gun to monitor temperature). Attach a heat pad, rated for a 20-gallon terrarium, to the outside bottom of one of the far ends. (This will help regulate the temperature and humidity in the hide box)
LIGHTING
All hatchling tortoises kept indoors need high quality UVB lighting, Such as Zoo Meds Reptisun
5.0 or 10.0. The light should be no further than 12 inches from the top of the tortoise shell; placing the
light directly on top of a 20-gallon long vivarium is sufficient. Consult your local pet care professional.
HUMIDITY
The easiest way to provide humidity for tortoises indoors is by making a humidified shelter.
Items needed to make a humidified shelter: Plastic container ( 6 QT. storage box, Cool Whip container,
salad container or any container safe for use with reptiles ), sharp scissors., sand and soil mix ( use recommendations for substrate ) and/or green moss & leave pieces.
The top of the container ( lid side ) will be the bottom of the shelter. Choose the side you would
like to be the entrance and cut a hole two times the height and width of the tortoise. Place the lid on
the hide box, turn lid side down then add a 1”-2” layer of the sand soil mix.
Place the shelter in the terrarium so half is over the end with diet the heat pad. Keep soil &
sand mix, damp but not wet, by misting. Measure the humidity to make sure it is between 80%-100%.
Change substrate every one to two weeks.
Above: A forest tortoise vivarium set up housing an elongated tortoise. The substrate is peat moss
covered in sphagnum moss. The humidified shelter is a 6qt storage container containing damp moss.
There is a heat pad under half of the shelter and a basking area provided using a 100 watt bulb.
Diet is also important for smooth shell growth. Different tortoises have different needs, be familiar with your tortoises’ requirements, feed accordingly.
Basic dietary guidelines:
Grassland Tortoises: 70-75% grass and Hay the remainder of the diet should consist of vegetables, flowers, cactus pads and weeds ( dandelion, clover, etc… ). No fruit and no animal proteins. When
fed large amounts of fruit, large quantities of beneficial bacteria die, toxins can enter the tortoise's
bloodstream, causing a form of Toxic Shock Syndrome that can be fatal.
Mediterranean, Russian and Desert Tortoises: grass, flowers, weeds, vegetables and cactus
pads. Very occasionally fruit and no animal protein.
Forest Tortoises: flowers, weeds, fruits, vegetables, moss, mushrooms, cactus pads, and a
source of low fat animal protein. Fruit should be offered several times per week and animal protein
should be offered once per week. It has been noted that red-footed tortoise’s diets change with the
season and at certain times of the year their diet consist of 40% to 70% fruit. Flowers and mushrooms
also make up a large part of the diet.
HIGH CALCIUM FOODS: some foods are naturally high in calcium such as Collard Greens, Dandelion
Greens, Turnip Greens, Escarole, Mustard Greens, Cactus Pads and Alfalfa.
COMMON DISORDERS
DISORDER
METABOLIC BONE DISEASE
ABNORMAL GROWTH
RENAL FAILURE
CAUSE
LACK OF CALCIUM AND OR UVB
IMPROPER DIET, SUPPLEMENTATION,
LACK OF UVB & LOW HUMIDITY
IMPROPER DIET, LOW HUMIDITY &
DEHYDRATION
MINERALIZATION OF INTERNAL ORGANS
LOW HUMIDITY & DEHYDRATION
PYRAMIDING SHELLS
LOW HUMIDITY, IMPROPER DIET &
SUPPLEMENTATION AND LACK OF UVB
NUTRIENT ANTAGONIST: natural occurring chemicals found in fruits, vegetables and other food items
that interfere with the absorption of or render nutrients useless. This does not mean avoid these items
all together, just be sure not to feed in excess.
Goitrogens - render Iodine useless: Bok-Choy, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Kale, Rutabaga, Spinach & Strawberries.
Oxalates - Render Calcium useless: Beets, Beet Greens, Broccoli, Carrot, Cilantro, Kale, Pears,
Spinach, Strawberries, Swiss Chard and Tomatoes.
Phytates - render Calcium, Zinc, Iron & other Minerals useless: Legumes & Grains.
Tannis - render proteins useless: Bananas, Carrots, Grapes, Onions and spinach.
SUPPLEMENTATION
Proper supplementation is also necessary to achieve proper shell growth, too little or too much
vitamin or calcium supplementation can have devastating results. Always offer cuttle bones for torLIHS Herpetofauna Journal ~ May / September 2010 Vol. 20, Issue 5 - 9 ~ www.LIHS.org Page 19
toises to gnaw on as a source of calcium and to keep their beak from becoming over grown. Powdered
calcium and vitamin supplements should be given to hatchlings 2-3 times per week.
WATER
Tortoises need to be offered water on a regular basis this helps prevent health problems. Provide water in a shallow dish that can’t be tipped over. Forest species require a water dish large enough
to soak in. Change the water daily as they will defecate in it. In the case you have tortoises that constantly tip their dish causing a section of the terrarium that should be dry to constantly be wet, remove
the water dish and soak the tortoise(s) in warm water for five minutes every two to three days.
CONCLUSION
There are many factors involved in raising healthy tortoises with smooth shells. I by no means
claim to have discovered the effects of humidity on shell growth, but I’m sharing what I have learned
through research and experimenting. Some tortoises have a natural pyramid shape to the shell. Some
tortoises in the wild, especially leopards, show varying degrees of pyramiding. Could the earth’s changing landscape and weather patterns cause pyramiding of tortoise shells in the wild? It is obvious that
humidity has a direct effect on how smooth a tortoise shell grows. Humidity alone is not the key to a
healthy tortoise and shell. A tortoise’s diet, vitamin and calcium supplementation, exposure to UV and
many other factors also affect the pyramiding of shells and a tortoise’s health. There are still many unknowns about tortoise nutrition and its effects on shell growth, but research in recent years has shed a
lot of light and started to close the gap, mainly due to dedicated private individuals who have a love for
tortoises and the reptile hobby.
We have since raised different species of tortoise based on the guidelines in this article and
all have smooth shell growth. Tortoises acquired that had pyramiding, when introduced to these
conditions, all future shell growth was smooth. Photos essay pages 23 – 30
Left: One of the Sulcatas
used in the experiment.
The photo was taken when
the tortoises were acquired.
Above: The same tortoise ( from page 20 ) 3.5 years later. This tortoise was raised with access to humidity via a humidified shelter.
Below: One of the Sulcatas that were not provided a humidified shelter for the first year. This picture
was taken when the tortoise was 3.5 years old and has had access to a humidified shelter for 2.5
years.
Recommended Reading:
Fife, R. & Fife, J., M. 2006. Natural History, Captive Care, and Breeding of Stigmochelys pardalis ( formerly Geochelone pardalis ). Richard Fife and Jerry D. Fife
Gurley, R. 2005. Sulcatas, African Spurred Tortoises in Captivity ( With Notes on Other Popular Tortoises ). ECO Herpetological Publishing & Distribution. Lansing, MI
de Vosjoli, P 1996. Popular Tortoises. Advanced Vivarium Systems. Mission Viejo, CA
Highfield, A. C. 2007. Tortoises: Do They Need To Drink? Tortoise Trust Websitehttp://tortoisetrust.org/articles/drink.html
Highfield, A. C. 2002. Feeding Tortoises. Tortoise Trust Website- http:/ tortoisetrust.org/articles/webdiet.htm
Highfield, A. C. 2002. Understanding Micro climates in Captivity. Tortoise Trust Websitehttp://tortoisetrust.org/articles/ micro climates.htm
Highfield, A. C. 2002. Understanding Vivarium Substrates. Tortoise Trust Websitehttp://tortoisetrust.org/articles/ substrates.html
The Argyle Sweater by Scott Hilburn
May 14, 2007
May 18, 2010
THE ANTI PYRAMID SCHEME: PROMOTING SMOOTH SHELL GROWTH
PHOTO ESSAY
AFRICAN SPURRED TORTOISES ( Geochelone sulcata )
Above: As tortoises grow the size of the enclosure and the size of the humidified shelter must increase. Here we have used a large Rubbermaid tub and lid fastened to the back wall with nylon
screws and wing nuts, so the tortoises can’t move or flip it, but it can be easily removed for cleaning.
Right & Next Page:
These tortoises were
raised with access to
humidified shelters,
with a humidity of
85%-100%. Automatic
mist systems can be
used to maintain a
humidified shelter.
AFRICAN SPURRED TORTOISES ( Geochelone sulcata ) – continued from page 23
RED-FOOTED TORTOISES ( Geochelone carbonaria )
Left: Red-Footed Tortoises
had access to a humidified
shelter and an area of damp
moss that was misted daily.
When fresh green moss was
placed in the enclosure they
would often hurry over to eat
some.
Above and Below: These tortoises were obtained at 3.5” and had some pyramiding. Once given
access to humidity future shell growth was smooth.
MARGINATED TORTOISES ( Testudo marginata )
Above: This tortoise is enjoying a meal of frozen tortoise food.
Right: The same
tortoise, notice the
nice smooth shell.
Above: in this setup a heat lamp was placed over the shelter. Care must be taken when using this
method, so tortoise don’t become overheated.
ELONGATED TORTOISES ( Indotestudo elongata )
Left: A combination of
damp moss and an
under the tank heater
create an excellent microclimate for forest
species.
Above: The water drops on the glass are from daily misting.
Above: once given access to humidity future shell growth was smooth.
CALIFORNIA DESERT TORTOISES ( Gopherus agassizii )
Left: Desert Tortoises also benefit
from humidified shelters. Here is
one emerging from a humidified
shelter in the morning.
Right: These tortoises were acquired right after
hatching and have been provided a humidified shelter from day one.
LEOPARD TORTOISE ( Geochelone pardalis )
Right: These tortoises were acquired
at 3 months old and have been provided a humidified shelter since and
all new growth has been smooth.
Left and Below: Note the new growth between the
scutes. You can see the scutes are farther apart with
nice smooth growth between. The above tortoise is
the same as the one on the left.
Jumpin' Jiminy! Virus Silences Cricket Farm
by Stephen Hudak
LEESBURG — Healthy and hopping a year ago, Beth Payne's insect-growing operation is so quiet now
that you could hear a cricket chirping — if she had any.
Payne, owner of Lucky Lure Cricket Farm, supplied reptile owners, Florida theme parks and zoos
with millions of singing insects
every month until her Leesburg
warehouse was suddenly silenced
by a bug of a different kind.
A quick-spreading virus,
blamed for destroying similar
farms in Europe, wiped out her
cricket colonies this year, contaminated her facility and forced
the 58-year-old niche business into bankruptcy court this month.
"At first, we thought it
was just a bad hatch," said Payne,
53, who scooped 9 million dead
crickets from incubation bins in
Foreman John Legan and Beth Payne, owner of Lucky Lure
February.
Cricket Farm, stand in the shipping room of the once-thriving
business on Monday, June 21, 2010.
TOM BENITEZ, ORLANDO SENTINEL
Lucky Lure, considered the
state's oldest commercial insect farm, was ravaged by a plague that has cricket farmers justifiably worried, said Drion Boucias, a professor of entomology at University of Florida.
"There's no known cure for this," Boucias said of the aggressive, species-specific virus, which
has caused a nationwide shortage of crickets, commonly sold for a dime a bug at pet stores and slightly
cheaper over the Internet.
The densovirus attacks the common house cricket, a fish bait and tasty
staple for pet lizards and other reptiles, who prefer a live meal with a little
spring in its step.
Boucias said the virus, spread by contact and ingestion, is next to impossible to remove.
CLEANING FOR NAUGHT
Payne, who consulted the professor, tried unsuccessfully four times to restart the bug-growing
operation, investing thousands of dollars in chemicals and specialized equipment to sterilize floors,
walls and fixtures.
"We bleached and bleached and bleached," she said.
Eight people lost their jobs when Lucky Lure, saddled with more than $450,000 in debts, shut its
doors in May, forcing a swarm of reptile hobbyists who relied on Payne's crunchy crickets to scramble
for pet food.
Experts say there is no evidence that any animal has been harmed by eating an infected cricket.
Payne, who suspects the virus arrived on a tainted shipment of worms from a California farm,
tried to keep her business crawling by selling crickets raised by other farms.
She rang up $22,000 in bills for bugs from the Armstrong Cricket Farm in Georgia, the nation's
oldest and largest cricket farm. Armstrong manager Jeff Armstrong is so concerned about the virus that
he won't accept mail from other farms, fearing the microscopic, contagious bug might have hitched a
ride on the envelope.
Several growers and dealers have posted notices on their websites, including Clay Ghann, president of Ghann's Cricket Farm, a family-owned operation that was featured this year on Discovery
Channel's Dirty Job series.
Georgia-based Ghann's supplies the inch-long critters to former Lucky Lure customers, including
the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Sanford. Bearded dragons, poison dart frogs and tarantulas are among two dozen zoo animals that feast on crickets, said Shonna Green, the zoo's marketing director.
Lucky Lure, which also supplied crickets to Disney's Animal Kingdom, Busch Gardens and SeaWorld, began as a bait service in Lake County in the 1950s, serving anglers looking for a low-cost lure
to snag largemouth bass and crappie.
EERILY SILENT
Payne, a mail carrier for nearly 30 years, married into the unusual occupation.
Her late husband, Robert Payne, who died in 2008 at age 45, wanted to buy a bait shop in the
late 1980s when he moved to Florida from California, where he had worked on movie cameras in Hollywood. He settled for a cricket farm.
After they married in 2002, the couple decided to set up sales booths at "Repticons," annual
conventions of reptile owners. The strategy proved to be a boon for Lucky Lure, said John Legan, 35,
the bug farm's foreman.
Lucky Lure, which had been shipping about 50 boxes of crickets a week, began selling more
than 2,000 boxes a week to reptile hobbyists across the U.S., prompting an investment in a new climate-controlled building.
A box of 1,000 crickets cost $10.50 to $21, depending on the number of boxes ordered.
The farm shipped 32 million crickets in just six months in 2009 and was poised for 2010 to be its
most profitable year ever, Legan said.
He recalled how the winged hordes thundered inside their growing bins, sounding at times like
a heavy rain. Beth Payne likened the ferocious noise inside the farm buildings to the pounding of stampeding horses.
But now it's quiet.
"I think if I heard one now, I'd cry," she said.
Stephen Hudak can be reached at shudak@orlandosentinel.com or 352-742-5930.
CRICKET VIRUS
What: The densovirus is a single-strand virus that affects only insects — in this case only the house
cricket, which is commercially grown in the U.S. as a fish bait and reptile food.
How spread: Likely by ingestion of contaminated material by healthy crickets or deposited on cricket
eggs by infected females. Infected crickets die without visible symptoms.
Why occurring: "We're still learning about it," said G.B. Edwards with the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Reprinted from the Orlando Sentinel
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2010-06-21/news/os-cricket-farm-bankruptcy-20100621_1_luckylure-cricket-farm-virus-bug/2
June 21, 2010
Submitted by John Heiser
THE ARGYLE SWEATER
by Scott Hilburn
April 29, 2007
Biologists Find Proof of First Confirmed Species of Monogamous Frog
ScienceDaily (Mar. 12, 2010) — Amphibians may be a love 'em and leave 'em class, but one frog species defies the norm, scientists have found.
A trio of biologists, including two from East Carolina University, have discovered in Peru the first
confirmed species of monogamous amphibian, Ranitomeya imitator, better known as the mimic poison
frog -- a finding that provides groundbreaking insight into the ecological factors that influence mating
behavior.
The scientists' work, which
is to be published in the April issue
of The American Naturalist, may be
the most solid evidence yet that
monogamy can have a single ecological cause.
"We were able to tie the
evolution of monogamy and the
evolution of biparental care to variation in a single ecological factor,
and that's rare," said Kyle Summers, an ECU biology professor
whose specialties include evolutionary ecology and evolutionary genetics. Summers authored the
study with Jason L. Brown, a former
ECU graduate student now a researcher at Duke University, and
Victor Morales of Ricardo Palma Uni- This photo shows a "family" of Ranitomeya imitator amphiversity in Lima, Peru.
bians, better known as mimic poison frogs.
Photo courtesy of Jason Brown
Analyzing data on 404 frog
species, the biologists found a strong association between the use of small pools for breeding, and the
evolution of parental care, including intensive parental care involving egg-feeding and the participation
of both parents. The researchers then focused in on the mating and parenting habits of two similar
frog species, the mimic poison frog and the R. variabilis, more commonly known as the variable poison
frog, that differed mainly in the size of the breeding-pool.
They theorized that the differences in parental care and mating system between these otherwise similar species stemmed from the relative availability of resources in the breeding pools. The tadpole of the mimic poison frog grows up in much smaller, less nutrient-dense water pools that form in
the folds of tree leaves. They are ferried there after hatching by males, who monitor them in the
months following birth. About once a week, the male calls for his female partner, who lays non-fertile
eggs for the tadpoles to eat.
The variable poison frog, however, raises its tadpoles in larger pools. Here, as with most amphibians, rearing of the young is handled mostly by the male.
To test their theory, scientists moved tadpoles from both species into differently sized pools.
Tadpoles in larger pools thrived while tadpoles in smaller pools did not grow.
This, the scientists said, means that tadpoles living in the larger, more nutrient-rich pools don't
need the work of two parents as much as their smaller-pond counterparts. Species that raised tadpoles
in smaller ponds were more likely to require the skills of both parents. In turn, this likely favored parents who remained devoted only to the offspring that they had produced together.
The researchers used genetic analyses based on techniques similar to the DNA-based forensic
methods used for paternity cases to investigate the mating system of the mimic poison frog. Surprisingly, the all but one of the families investigated were completely genetically monogamous. Many animals thought to practice social monogamy have been found through genetic testing to be less faithful
than previously believed. Monogamy "turns out to be relatively rare, eve in birds and mammals -- particularly in mammals -- and reptiles," Summers said. "Finding a frog that has a monogamous mating
system was pretty novel for us."
The biologists' work already has attracted attention from scientific and popular media, both international and national. While the idea that ecological factors -- say, scarcity of resources -- have contributed to monogamous behavior in humans and other animals is well accepted, Summers cautioned
against drawing inferences about human behavior from the findings.
"People are interested in whether there are parallels between mating systems of other species
and our own," he said. "Of course, the human situation is so different from other species. It's somewhat perilous to over interpret the similarities. You can't just translate it."
Story Source:
Adapted from materials provided by East Carolina University.
Journal Reference:
Jason L. Brown, Victor Morales, and Kyle Summers. A Key Ecological Trait Drove the Evolution
of Biparental Care and Monogamy in an Amphibian. The American Naturalist, 2010; 175 (4): 436 DOI:
10.1086/650727
Reprinted from ScienceDaily LLC
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100311192933.htm
Published Mar. 12, 2010; Accessed April 7, 2010
Turtle 'Super Tongue' Discovered
By Matt Walker
Editor, Earth News
O
ne type of turtle possesses an extraordinary
organ that allows it to
breathe underwater and stay
submerged for many months.
The common musk turtle has a tiny tongue lined with
specialised buds, scientists have
discovered.
Rather than use this
tongue for eating, the turtles
use it to exchange oxygen, solving a mystery of how these reptiles can remain submerged for so
long.
Common musk turtles have special abilities
Credit: E. Heiss
Details are published in journal The Anatomical Record.
"I was very surprised, I really didn't expect that," says zoologist Egon Heiss, who is studying for
his PhD at the University of Vienna in Austria.
Mr. Heiss and colleagues made the discovery while studying the feeding habits of the common
musk turtle ( Sternotherus odoratus ), a freshwater species that inhabits lakes and rivers in southern
Canada and the eastern US.
Adults spend most of their lives underwater, but juveniles occasionally come onto land to
search for food.
While filming these juveniles trying to feed, the researchers noticed something unusual: when
the animals found food, they could only eat it after dragging it back into the water.
Out of land, they struggled to swallow their prey.
A closer examination of the turtle's tongue revealed why.
The common musk turtle has a weak and tiny tongue covered with and surrounded by specialised bud-like cells called papillae.
Further tests revealed that the turtle uses these cells around its tongue to breathe, by drawing
in oxygen from water that passes over them.
"We knew that an organ for aquatic respiration must be present somewhere but finally discovered it accidentally," says Mr. Heiss.
Hibernating underwater
Some turtles cannot breathe underwater at all.
All marine turtles, for example, must come to the surface at least every few hours to gulp air.
Of freshwater turtles, some cannot breathe underwater, while others do so via their skin.
Other species, such as the side-necked turtles of Australia, cope by using specialised cavities in
their rear, known as cloacal bursae, to draw in water and remove the oxygen.
(T)
Such turtles often
need to spend long periods of
time underwater, where they
hibernate, remaining asleep
and still, not feeding and slowing their metabolic rate down.
"Musk turtles, however, lack cloacal bursae and
their skin is relatively thick
and lacks a well developed
capillary network," Mr. Heiss
told the BBC.
So how these turtles
can spend months underwater
without coming to the surface
has remained a mystery, as
Scanning electron micrograph showing tongue ( T ) and the respi- they cannot take in enough oxygen through their skin.
ratory lobe-like papillae ( indicated by the black arrows )
Credit: Eric Heiss
"We found the large papillae in the throat and were immediately fascinated," says Mr. Heiss.
He and his colleagues believe the musk turtle's tongue is likely to be an ancient trait.
Turtles are among the longest surviving group of higher land vertebrates, known as amniotes,
having persisted for 220 million years.
"I truly believe there's still a lot to discover," he continues.
"This study shows how plastic adaptations to certain environmental circumstances can be in
turtles."
Reprinted from the BBC NEWS
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8693000/8693794.stm
Published: May 20, 2010
Submitted by LIHS Member Debbie Hoppe
Coral Snake Antivenom Shortage Has Many Concerned
By Sarah Forgany / Kens 5
A serious bite from a coral snake can give you cardiac arrest,
and soon you may not be able to get much help if you're bitten. The
FDA is anticipating a shortage of coral snake anti-venom.
It is one of the deadliest snakes in our area.
"It's a serious venom. More serious than a rattle snake," Robert Jackson says.
Jackson is the reptile supervisor at Snake Farm. He says an
untreated bite from a coral snake can kill you within an hour. Soon
doctors won't have the antivenin for it either.
Pfizer makes the only FDA-approved coral snake anti-venom
and they are running out.
The company shutdown its plant in 2003. Now the FDA says
the last vials will expire in just five months from now, in October.
"It's a concern if you're working with snakes. The most dangerous one is the one right in front
of you," Jackson says.
But Jackson adds that coral snake bites are rare, less than one percent a year.
Metro Health told KENS 5 they have not been tracking coral snake bites.
But the last reported death in the country was in the 1960's.
Jackson says coral snakes don't typically attack unless you step on them.
The most important thing he adds is to watch your step and learn the colors.
Jackson says, if the red is touching the yellow, it's deadly.
As the saying goes, red and black is a friend of jack. Red and yellow will kill a fellow.
Reprinted from kens5.com
http://www.kens5.com/news/local/Coral-snake-antivenom-shortage-has-some-concerned94786204.html
Posted on May 24, 2010
LIHS at CAMP FARMINGDALE
For the last several years the LIHS has done an OUTREACH PROGRAM at the Farmingdale State
College Summer Camp Program. This year ( as in the past several years ), Rich Hume, Ed Bennett, and
Harry Faustmann represented the LIHS, and put on a great presentation for the campers.. The kids always have a great time. THANKS guys..
LITERATURE AND MEDIA REVIEW(S)
“The Frogs and Toads of North America: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Identification, Behavior, and Calls”
“The Frogs and Toads of North America: A Comprehensive Guide to
Their Identification, Behavior, and Calls” ( Paperback ) is an amazing book.
A beautiful and comprehensive photo-filled guide that is the first
to show all of the frogs of North America and includes a CD of their calls.
Colorful and noisy early indicators of environmental distress, frogs and
toads are fascinating to casual nature lovers as well as expert herpetologists. Covering all 101 species in the United States and Canada, this book
contains natural history information, identification tips, range and habitat
information, summaries of behavior, and descriptions of calls.
A 70-minute audio compact disc includes the calls of nearly every
species and makes fascinating listening for any nature lover. The book also has sections on conservation issues, public participation in census programs, photography and sound recording, and keeping
frogs and toads as pets.
From the olive-and-black Pig Frog, which gets its name from its low-pitched, pig-like grunt, to
the X-marked and familiar-sounding Spring Peeper, the superb photographs and high-quality field recordings combine with the informative text to make this a must-have book for every naturalist.





Publisher: Mariner Books; Pap/Com edition ( March 17, 2009 )
Paperback: 344 pages
 ISBN-10: 0618663991
Language: English
 ISBN-13: 978-0618663996
Over 350 color photographs
 List price: $19.95 ( found cheaper )
Location maps
ER to PR: Veterinary Medicine on the Run
By Dr. Robert Monaco, DVM, DABVP
Informative and funny, ER to PR: Veterinary Medicine on the Run is like
a modern day James Herriot novel with New York wit and supercharged with
adrenaline. If you love pets, running or just enjoy a good laugh, you will love
this book. Critics give it two paws up!
Dr. Monaco, first time author, long time veterinarian and runner will
take you on a journey through the exciting world of veterinary medicine and
racing. Never before has this been done. So, lace up your sneakers, grab your
pet and start reading!
Check out the book at http://www.ertopr.com/
$13.95 plus NY sales tax for NY residents ( 8.625% ). Shipping and handling is $5.00 inside the US ( up to
2 books ).
Avoid shipping costs and purchase a copy at Old Country Animal Clinic, 669 Old Country Road,
Plainview, NY 11803, ( 516 ) 938-7218. Website: http://oldcountryanimalclinic.com/index.html
Gamera - The Giant Monster ~ DVD
Review by Stuart Galbraith IV
Shout! Factory's plans to release all eight classic Gamera
movies in their original widescreen, Japanese-language versions is
great news for American kaiju eiga ("giant monster movie") fans.
Movies starring the fire-breathing, prehistoric and extra-terrestrial
monster turtle have been kicking around in myriad theatrical, television, and home video versions through the years, though few of
these have been satisfying or show the films to best advantage. This
DVD release is by far the best of the various American home video
versions, featuring as it does a sparkling 16:9 enhanced transfer and
good extra features.
The story of Gamera - The Giant Monster ( Daikaiju Gamera,
1965 ) is particularly convoluted. As was done with the original Gojira ( 1954 ), Gamera's first American distributors opted to retool Daikaiju Gamera, shooting new scenes featuring actors Brian Donlevy
and Albert Dekker. That version, retitled Gammera the Invincible (
1966 ), later turned up on television but by the 1980s had disappeared. In its place came a new "Sandy Frank" version, simply called
Gamera; all the American scenes were dropped and in its place was nothing more than the original
Japanese version (minus the opening titles) with new English dubbing. However, the English dubbing
was appallingly bad, so much so that this version became the virtual flagship of Mystery Science Theater 3000, the movie-mocking comedy show. Indeed, the Sandy Frank versions seriously damaged the
entire series' reputation, especially for those of us who enjoyed AIP-TV's carefully dubbed syndicated
versions of Gamera sequels that aired throughout the 1970s.
Though Wikipedia ignores this completely, in the 1990s yet another version of Gamera and its
sequels appeared. These fully licensed versions from Neptune Media were virtually one-man productions, produced (and mysteriously financed) by Ohio-based Bill Ferguson. Neptune released the original, Japanese-language and widescreen Gamera, retitled Giant Monster Gamera, along with the 1966
Gammera the Invincible, also for the first time in widescreen, around 1999. Unfortunately their timing
was terrible; Neptune's super-deluxe VHS tapes came out just as retail stores were ridding themselves
of prerecorded tapes in favor of DVDs. Bill's company did sublicense Giant Monster Gamera for laserdisc, but that format was also on its last legs. Around the same time, bottom-feeder DVD labels began
flooding the market with the earlier American versions of several Gamera titles, movies that, they assumed, had fallen into the public domain.
Back in Japan, Tokuma Publishing and Toshiba released an expensive but superlative DVD
boxed set of all the classic Gamera movies, in beautiful 16:9 widescreen transfers ( that put rival Toho's
Region 2 DVDs to shame ) that also featured optional English subtitles.
Happily, Shout! Factory's release is about par with that exceptional release, and at a much lower price.
Though eventually the series would radically move off in a different direction - more about this
later - initially Gamera - The Giant Monster was an obvious attempt by Daiei, one of Japan's leading
film companies, to cash in on the general popularity of giant monster movies in Japan (and their marketability abroad), a genre up to then completely dominated by rival Toho, purveyors of Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, et. al. Gamera - The Giant Monster is structured much like the first Godzilla. The Cold
War heats up near the North Pole and when a Soviet MIG fighter is shot down, its nuclear payload
spectacularly explodes, unleashing the frozen-in-time Gamera. As the monster makes the usual beeline
to Tokyo, scientists and the military can find no way to stop the creature. A subplot introduces lonely,
motherless Toshio (Yoshiro Uchida), whose torturous conflicts at home over a pet turtle lead to the
boy's complete and dangerous obsession with the destructive monster.
The first Gamera movie isn't as enjoyable as those that followed, partly because it's less original, following Godzilla's well-trodden path of destruction so closely, and because the subplot with Toshio is more irritating than affecting. In its original Japanese version, it's clear the boy is basically pathetic and delusional, and the approach is uniquely Japanese in a manner that doesn't play well at all to
American viewers.
But it did lay the foundation for the series' lasting impact. By 1965 Toho's monster movies were
already in decline, shifting away from the mainstream appeal they once enjoyed toward an audience of
primarily teenagers and, later still, children. Gamera director Noriaki Yuasa and screenwriter Niisan Takahashi wholeheartedly embraced this trend rather than fight it. By the third entry, children became
the central characters and the movies were told from their innocent perspectives rather than neutral
adult ones. Rarely do movies do this, even children's films about children - a few exceptions to this rule
are The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, Invaders from Mars ( both 1953 ) and The Railway Children ( 1971 ). Takahashi and Yuasa clearly empathized with these characters and, certainly in Mr. Yuasa's case, retained
a childlike sense of wonder apparent in their work.*
Instead, the first Gamera movie is interesting in other ways. It was the only series entry in black
and white, giving it a unique look that also helps hide some of its deficiencies in terms of the visual effects. But even these are often good and always inventive. Where Toho was by the mid-'60s scaling
back on its effects, and where rivals like Toei, Nikkatsu, and Shochiku would cut corners and/or show
limited imagination on its eventual kaiju eiga, Daiei's early Gamera films had an original look and the
obvious effort is there onscreen.
Video & Audio
Filmed in Daiei's CinemaScope-like Daieiscope process, Gamera - The Giant Monster is given a
fine widescreen transfer at least as good as the superlative Tokuma/Toshiba DVD from Japan, and the
English subtitles are fine. Some fans bemoan the absence of the original English version, Gammera the
Invincible, some unfairly, loudly, and publicly blaming the UCLA Film & Television Archive, which holds
the best-surviving film elements of that version. While it's unfortunate that it's not included, unlike the
Raymond Burrified Godzilla, King of the Monsters! ( 1956 ), which carefully incorporated new footage
into the middle of the action, the scenes with Donlevy, Dekker, and others is disconnected and poorly
executed, always stopping the narrative in its tracks. The (mono) Japanese language version, in its original widescreen form, is without a doubt the best way to experience this Gamera.
Extra Features
The main attraction is a fact-filled audio commentary by August Ragone, author of Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters. A ubiquitous, proprietary presence on the Web, Ragone thankfully reined in
his ego for this generally good track, which is impressively crammed with interesting information on
the film's surprising origins and background and its cast and crew.
A full-color 10-page book includes an essay by Mr. Yuasa from 2001, character biographies, and
other material. A publicity gallery is included, along with "A Retrospective Look at the Gamera Franchise," actually a full-frame featurette from the earlier Japanese DVD. Though statically shot, it includes behind the scenes photographs and interviews with Noriaki Yuasa, Niisan Takahashi, and others,
who discuss the film's origins and production. Like the featurette, the Japanese trailer is Englishsubtitled.
Parting Thoughts
Though more than a little silly, Gamera - The Giant Monster is a lot of fun and its 16:9 widescreen transfer provides American viewers the first real opportunity to see the film on big, widescreen
TVs in all its city-smashing glory. Highly Recommended.
* I once had the pleasure of hosting a party for Mr. Yuasa
and his wife at my home in Los Angeles. This childlike quality I describe was certainly on display that evening: Though
in his late-60s, at one point he got so swept up in describing his direction of the actor in the Gamera costume that
he dropped to the floor and began crawling around like turtle.
REPRINTED from DVD TALK
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/42231/gamera-thegiant-monster/
Shout Factory // Unrated
Release date: May 18, 2010
List Price: $19.93
Posted May 7, 2010
Off the mark.com by Mark Parisi
February 07, 1997
Scientists Find Key To Rattlers' Infrared Sight
David Perlman, Chronicle Science Editor
In the long evolution of reptiles, the venomous rattlesnakes and their ilk have developed a highly sensitive way to spot their prey and flee from predators: They carry tiny infrared detectors on the
sides of their heads that instantly sense the heat of warm-blooded animals nearby.
And like a heat-sensitive television camera, those detectors send an image of the target animal
to the snake's brain, telling it where and when to strike - or where a hungry enemy is lurking.
Now a team of scientists at UCSF that is exploring the varied sensory systems of humans has
discovered the chemical molecule that endows poisonous pit vipers of all kinds with their unique detective ability.
It's an obscure protein that many other animals carry, from tiny fruit flies to people, but in other varieties it serves far different functions than in rattlesnakes, according to David Julius, a neurobiologist at UCSF's new Mission Bay Campus.
Julius and his colleagues reported their discovery of the rattlesnakes' infrared detecting molecule in an online version of the journal Nature published Sunday.
The laboratory team Julius leads has been identifying the ways the human body feels pain sensations, and determining how the molecules that detect pain-producing stimuli are altered when tissues and nerves are injured.
To study the genetics and structure of infrared detectors in diamondback rattlesnakes and other creatures like the Texas rat snake and the 7-foot-long Western Coachwhip, Julius and his colleagues
also studied similar proteins that make humans feel painful heat - molecules called "wasabi receptors,"
which can make some people enjoy the hottest of chili peppers and others steer clear of them.
Those pain receptors are known as TRPA1, which stands for transient receptor potential. And
although many versions of them remain a mystery, Julius and his team found the molecular structure
of the infrared heat detector in the snakes they studied after a long series of delicate experiments.
The detectors that enable a snake to track its prey from 3 feet away "with great precision and
speed," Julius said, are located in pits on each side of the animal's head between its eyes and its nostrils. Nerve fibers connect signals from the pits to optic sensors of the snake's brain, where the animal
actually "sees" an image of its prey, he said.
"It's really a beautiful piece of work, a great piece of scientific detection," commented Kenneth
Catania, a physiologist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, who is widely known for his own studies of
sensory systems in mammals and who has independently followed the progress of the Julius lab at
UCSF.
That infrared detection system works beautifully in venomous snakes, Julius explained in an interview, but it isn't nearly as sensitive in pythons and boa constrictors, which are not poisonous - an interesting difference that shows how differently evolution often works.
Both types of reptiles evolved the same systems, but the venomous ones evolved 30 million
years later than boas and pythons, according to the fossil evidence. So while the more ancient snakes
never did develop the heat-detectors of the poisonous vipers, the vipers had 30 million more years of
Darwinian evolution to evolve the detectors whose molecules Julius and is colleagues have identified.
Julius' leading colleague for the team's experiments is Elena O. Gracheva, a postdoctoral fellow
in his lab, he said.
E-mail David Perlman at dperlman@sfchronicle.com
Reprinted from the San Francisco Chronicle
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/15/BADG1CF0NS.DTL
2010 Hearst Communications Inc.
Published: March 15, 2010, Accessed April 5, 2010
Blacksnake in the Yard
Longtime LIHS
member ( & former LIHS
Executive Board Member ),
Susan Jacob ( who now resides in Virginia, but is still
retains her LIHS Membership [ atta girl Susan ] ) sent
me these photos of a
blacksnake as it crawled
about her yard. Susan, who
is an avid gardener, and
herp enthusiast; maintains
her own mulch/compost
pile. She sees many of
these snakes, both adults and juveniles, year, after
year, and has even found eggs at her home. They
love the heat given off by the mulch/compost pile.
Nothing better than to see our favorite
critters in the wild. Reminds me of when I was a
kid… Ahhh, toooo be young again…
Thanks Susan…..
Ultraviolet Radiation Not Culprit Killing Amphibians, Research Shows
ScienceDaily — In nature, ultraviolet radiation from sunlight
is not the amphibian killer scientists once suspected.
Naturally occurring murky water and females who
choose to lay their eggs in the shade keep embryos of one of
the nation's most UV-sensitive amphibian species out of
harm's way most of the time, new research shows. Less than
2 percent of the embryos of the long-toed salamander received lethal doses of UV across 22 breeding sites across
nearly 8 square miles ( 20 square kilometers ) in Washington
state's Olympic National Park.
For a second amphibian, the Cascades frog -- known
to be among the least UV-sensitive Pacific Northwest species -- the researchers found no instances where eggs received lethal doses.
Declines in amphibian populations around the globe
remain a real concern, but the cause is not increasing UV
radiation, according to Wendy Palen, lead author and a Simon Fraser University ecologist who conducted the research
while earning her doctorate from the UW, and Daniel
Schindler, UW professor of aquatic and fishery sciences. The
work is being published in the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences May 25, and is now available online.
Cascades frogs, 2-to3-inches long, are
the most commonly found frog in subalpine waterways and one of the
least-sensitive amphibians to UV radiation tested in the Pacific Northwest.
( Credit: Wendy Palen Lab )
"These findings don't contest hundreds of studies demonstrating the harmful effects of UV radiation for many organisms, including humans," Palen says. "Rather, it points out the need to understand where and when it is harmful."
Papers published in the late 1990s and early 2000s raised the alarm that UV exposure was triggering amphibian declines, with many of the findings based on Pacific Northwest amphibians. Previous
research wasn't wrong: some species proved extremely sensitive to UV radiation -- with especially high
mortality for eggs and larvae -- as shown in physiological studies done mostly in highly controlled laboratory experiments or at just one or two natural ponds or sites, Palen says.
But conditions in labs or a few isolated sites are not what the animals typically encounter in the
wild and they do not behave in labs as they do in their natural habitat, the new study of a large number
of breeding sites, 22 altogether, revealed.
Continued on page 58
A Long Drink of Water
For thirsty sea snakes, the ocean can be a desert
by Harvey B. Lillywhite
“Look at this! How really weird,” I exclaimed to a colleague. We were standing on the tilted
deck of an old, wrecked merchant ship partly submerged off the coast of Papua New Guinea, near the
capital city of Port Moresby. At my feet, a hundred or more sea snakes lay on the rusty deck, some
stretched out side by side, others in tangled clusters. All were more or less still. Yellow-lipped sea kraits
they were ( Laticauda colubrine ), their two- or threefoot-long bodies dressed in alternating bands of grayblue and black. It wasn’t their aggregation on dry
land, as it were, that surprised me—sea kraits are
amphibious and known to gather in large groups occasionally. But, like shipwrecked sailors, nearly all of
them appeared emaciated, and I could not imagine
the reason. It would be more than passing strange
for so many in a single population to be unable to
find enough fish to eat.
Above: Blue-banded sea krait
Coleman Sheehy III
Left: Yellow-bellied sea snake, Pelamis platarus
Alejandro Solorzano
Right: Yellow-bellied sea snake, shown off Costa
Rica, is a pelagic species that occasionally becomes stranded on land. Some evidence hints
that it and its relatives require freshwater; the
author plans to test that hypothesis.
Alejandro Solorzano
That was in 1975. In the intervening decades I’ve replayed the scene in my mind now and then,
each time returning to the question: what was wrong with those sea snakes? In hindsight, and with the
benefit of additional research into sea snake physiology, I’m almost certain it wasn’t hunger plaguing
them. Although surrounded by the vast waters of the Pacific Ocean, they were most likely severely dehydrated. They might even have been early harbingers of climate change.
Of the myriad and diverse creatures of the sea, most evolved right there in the saltwater. But a
handful of them, including sea snakes, are secondarily marine, having evolved from terrestrial ancestors. The evolutionary transition from one medium to another is difficult, and the switch from air on
land to seawater presents special problems. Chief among them is obtaining enough water to stay
properly hydrated: the high concentration of salts in seawater poses a challenge to maintaining the
less-salty body fluid that most terrestrial organisms and their marine descendants possess.
Ancient mariners learned that we humans become seriously dehydrated if we drink seawater
(an act called “mariposa”). Our kidneys cannot concentrate urine sufficiently to conserve enough water
while eliminating the excess ingested salt. Marine mammals, by contrast, can excrete more concentrated urine than ours, and they have digestive-system adaptations that enable them to extract the
maximum liquid from their food. As a result, marine mammals have no need for freshwater. It remains
unknown whether they, and most other marine vertebrates, drink seawater directly.
Marine birds and reptiles have come up with a different solution for eliminating excess salt:
specialized glands that secrete concentrated fluids of sodium chloride, the principal salt constituent of
seawater. Desert animals, too, are subjected to osmotic stresses, and some excrete potassium salts as
well. The list of species known to possess salt glands includes desert birds and reptiles, along with seabirds, marine turtles, the marine iguana, some crocodilians, sea snakes, and terrestrial reptiles living in
coastal zones. In marine birds and iguanas a salt gland near each eye excretes through the nostrils; in
marine turtles the gland is in the eye socket and excretes salty tears; crocodilians have salt glands in
the tongue; and sea snakes have them beneath the tongue.
Salt glands have been studied almost exclusively in the laboratory, largely by infusing excess
salt into an animal—either intravenously, or by pumping saltwater into the stomach—and demonstrating that salt glands secrete highly concentrated salt solutions in response. But there is little information
concerning when and how effectively salt glands work in free-ranging animals. Physiologists have assumed that animals possessing salt glands are able to maintain water balance by excreting excess salts
ingested in salty substances, such as marine prey or seawater—no freshwater required. It has been
standard textbook dogma, for example, that sea snakes drink seawater and, in essence, distill it with
their salt glands. But there is always drama in science, and my recent work shows that at least some
sea snakes’ salt glands are insufficient to that task, and their water balancing act more complicated
than expected.
In the 1990s, my colleagues and I studied an unusual marine reptile called the little file snake
( Acrochordus granulates ). It is the sole marine species in the file snake family, the Acrochordidae,
which also contains two freshwater species. The file snakes are only distantly related to the group herpetologists call sea snakes, which includes the sea kraits. Through a series of observations and experiLIHS Herpetofauna Journal ~ May / September 2010 Vol. 20, Issue 5 - 9 ~ www.LIHS.org Page 50
ments, we discovered that the little file snake not only drinks freshwater but requires it to maintain
water balance. Most populations of little file snakes live in tropical southern Asia among mangroves or
in other near shore marine habitats. They spend their entire lives in seawater, where they can potentially dehydrate despite possessing a functional salt gland.
Left: Yellow-lipped sea krait, Laticauda colubrina, is a species the author showed is dependent upon freshwater to maintain water balance, though it spends much of its time in the ocean. It is one of seven sea kraits, amphibious species that come ashore to rest and to lay
eggs. Other sea snakes give birth to live young in the water.
Coleman Sheehy III
We further demonstrated that little file snakes eliminate much
of their nitrogenous waste in the form of ammonia or ammonium rather than uric acid, as terrestrial reptiles typically do. That is important
because the ammonia—a product of protein metabolism—is highly
toxic and cannot be allowed to accumulate in body fluids. Nor can it be
concentrated or precipitated, as uric acid can be, and it requires comparatively more water to eliminate via the kidneys. Thus the high protein load of the little file snakes’ diet of fish exacerbates their need for
freshwater. Indeed, little file snakes that are partly dehydrated cease
to eat, presumably to conserve water that they would otherwise expend ridding the body of ammonia.
The unexpected freshwater requirement of marine file snakes piqued my curiosity about how
sea snakes manage to stay hydrated—particularly in light of that oddly emaciated group on the Port
Moresby wreck. Whereas the little file snake is the only marine species in its family, sea snakes have
diversified considerably in the sea. Scientists recognize about sixty species in two distinct lineages. The
taxonomy is somewhat in dispute, but here, for simplicity, I’ll follow a popular classification that regards those two lineages as subfamilies within the family Elapidae. Sea snakes are thought to have
evolved from terrestrial elapids, which today include cobras, land kraits, coral snakes, and numerous
other venomous species in Australia. The subfamily Hydrophiinae contains more than fifty sea snake
species that are entirely marine. A few are pelagic, but most live near shore, and they all
give birth to live young in the water. The subfamily Laticaudinae contains another seven
species, all in the genus Laticauda and called
sea kraits. The group is amphibious: sea kraits
come ashore to rest and to lay eggs in moist,
rocky places along the seashore.
Left: Shore of Orchid Island, Taiwan, where
the author studied three sea krait species.
Harvey B. Lillywhite
Left: Yellow-lipped sea krait
Sea snakes are widely distributed throughout
much of the world’s marine tropics, primarily along
coastlines and islands of the Indian and western Pacific
oceans. A single species also occurs along the Pacific
coast of the Americas between Baja California and Ecuador. In addition to their salt glands, sea snakes have other morphological adaptations to life in the
sea. Valvular nostrils prevent the entry of water, and reduced ventral scales let the body compress laterally—which, in conjunction with a paddle-shaped tail, aids swimming. All sea snakes possess a single
functional lung. They surface to breathe air, though certain species can also exchange a moderate
amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide through the skin. Some species that feed or rest on the seafloor
can dive as deep as 350 feet and can remain submerged for more than two hours. Sea snakes have
highly toxic venom that most species use to immobilize their prey of fish or eels, and many are important top predators on coral reefs. A few species specialize on fish eggs.
Right: Dimpling of a yellow-lipped sea krait’s scales
( detail ) is a symptom of dehydration.
Some intriguing clues hinted that sea snakes
might need freshwater in their diet. In the 1970s, William A. Dunson, a biologist ( now emeritus ) at Pennsylvania State University in University Park, had observed
the yellow-bellied sea snake, Pelamis platurus, a fully
marine species in the subfamily Hydrophiinae, drinking
freshwater in the laboratory. And in 1991, Michael L. Guinea, a biologist at Northern Territory University (now part of Charles Darwin University) in Darwin, Australia, reported observing yellow-lipped sea
kraits drinking rainwater in Fiji; they would lick the water from vegetation or gulp it from depressions
in coconut leaves. Snakes drinking freshwater in the wild are obviously thirsty, and therefore in negative water balance. Presumably that would not occur if the snakes could indeed get sufficient water
from saltwater or from prey, using their salt glands.
To determine definitively whether sea snakes require freshwater to remain in water balance, I
spent three field seasons, in 2005 through 2007, studying the question in three species of sea kraits
that are common at Lanyu, a.k.a. Orchid Island, Taiwan. The three sea krait species represent a spectrum of habits: the yellow-lipped sea krait is semi terrestrial, the banded sea krait ( L. semifasciata ) is
almost fully marine, and the blue-banded sea krait is intermediate to the other two in its allocation of
time between land and sea.
I collaborated with Ming-Chung Tu, a biologist at the National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, and several students assisted us. To begin, we dehydrated sea snakes by keeping them in mesh
bags exposed to laboratory air. After two weeks, they were moderately dehydrated—having lost between 10 and 16 percent of their body mass—and therefore thirsty. We then placed each snake individually into an aquarium with seawater and watched to see whether it would drink. We weighed each
animal before and after to measure any water it might have ingested. After one hour, none of the
snakes had drunk any seawater. Next, we left the snakes in seawater for about twenty hours, overnight. Again we weighed them; none had gained any significant mass. We then placed each snake into
a container filled with freshwater and repeated the process. All the snakes drank the freshwater, opening their mouths and sucking it in, and many of them drank copiously within minutes of sensing it.
We also investigated whether the sea snakes would dehydrate when kept in seawater without
a source of freshwater for drinking. The snakes lost body mass at a constant rate for more than a
month, yet did not drink seawater. Other individuals were offered freshwater every third day; they
drank variable amounts to rehydrate throughout their time in the seawater. We didn’t feed the snakes
during either of the dehydration periods, which simplified the mass measurements. Snakes are intermittent feeders with relatively low metabolic rates, and they can go for several months and possibly
longer in the wild without eating.
At the conclusion of the experiments, we tested the animals that had no access to freshwater
to see what level of brackish water they might drink. We discovered that sea kraits will drink freshwater or very dilute seawater, but not brackish water more concentrated than 30 percent seawater. Our
experiments showed conclusively that at least three sea snake species dehydrate in air and in seawater. Moreover, they voluntarily correct for body-water deficits by drinking fresh or dilute brackish water, but refuse seawater.
Left: Turtlehead sea snake in
the Philippines
What was true in the laboratory also seems to be true in the wild. We collected sea kraits at
Orchid Island that appeared very thin, and they drank large amounts of freshwater in the laboratory.
And in the 1970s and 1980s, in Papua New Guinea and in Fiji, I encountered numerous sea kraits with
peculiarly dimpled scales. My team and I recently observed that the dimpling is a symptom of dehydration—though I didn’t realize it back then. A quick check of historical weather records for Papua New
Guinea and Fiji confirmed my suspicion: I had observed the dimpled sea snakes during seasonal
droughts. French scientists working in New Caledonia have witnessed numerous yellow-lipped sea
kraits emerging from seclusion beneath rocks or vegetation in dramatic synchrony when rain fell after
a period of drought. The snakes drank rainwater that dripped or pooled onto rocks. Thus, it seems certain that sea snakes can become severely dehydrated in the wild.
What about exclusively marine species? Snakes living in coastal waters might have access to an
underwater freshwater spring or to brackish or fresh water in estuaries. If not, their only source of
drinking water appears to be rainfall. Because freshwater is less dense than seawater, it tends to remain on the ocean surface until currents and waves mix it in. In most cases, such freshwater “lenses”
are thin and short-lived, but they can occasionally extend to depths of sixty feet and persist several
days. Behavior I observed in the laboratory hints that saltwater-dwelling snakes are familiar with the
phenomenon. Sprinkling freshwater over the surface of their tanks brought secretive little file snakes
out of their PVC-pipe burrows. They rose quickly to the surface to drink the “rain.”
One might expect that a freshwater lens would persist longer after a rainfall in a sheltered location, such as a bay or a lagoon, than on the open ocean. Interestingly, that’s exactly where some notably large sea snake populations have been found. The distribution of sea snakes is characteristically
patchy, and we are accumulating evidence that the patchiness might be explained, in part, by the distribution of rainfall both in time and in space.
During our field investigations at Orchid Island, we noticed that sea kraits were particularly abundant near a freshwater spring we had discovered while snorkeling near the coastline. Subsequently,
we selected eight different coastal sites around the perimeter of the island, and sampled the abundance of the three Laticauda species there, searching at night, when the snakes are most active. Four
of the sites have a known source of freshwater nearby. The other four have no apparent source other
than rainfall. We confirmed the distinction by testing the salinity of water samples taken at each site.
Our sampling showed that the freshwater sites sheltered several to seventy times more sea snakes
than did the strictly marine sites, where we often encountered no snakes whatsoever.
In 2007, we sampled the two freshwater sites where the snakes had been most plentiful during
the past two years. Our visit coincided with a period of local drought, and we noted that they were less
abundant than in the previous, wetter years. The drought was so bad that some streambeds were totally dry, including the source of the underwater spring we’d discovered while snorkeling. Some of the
villages on the island even ran out of drinking water. When I totaled the local numbers of snakes that
we’d counted each visit during three different years, and plotted them against the total precipitation
that fell during the six months preceding each visit, there was a positive correlation: more rain meant
more sea snakes. On a local geographic scale at Orchid Island, then, the abundance of sea snakes related positively to the availability of freshwater, both spatially and temporally.
Left: Blue-banded sea krait forages off Orchid Island.
It is an important top predator.
Yen Su
Right: In New Caledonia a blue-banded sea krait
drinks from a rock; the water accumulated there
may be freshwater from rainfall. –
Xavier Bonnet
Left: Caledonia sea krait ( Laticauda saintgironsi )
drinking from a rock in New Caledonia.
Xavier Bonnet
I set out to investigate whether the correlation
would hold up at a much broader geographic scale.
Sure enough, data in the scientific literature indicate
that the distribution of sea kraits generally coincides
with areas having low-salinity surface waters in the
tropical Indian and western Pacific oceans. Indeed, using data from South Asia for the known distributions of all sea snake species combined, I discovered that in general, more sea snake species live in
areas of greater precipitation.
The distribution of Laticauda species among small islands is also quite patchy, so one might hypothesize a dynamic model in which populations persist in certain areas that receive adequate precipitation and either die out or emigrate from others during droughts. Dispersing individuals might later
repopulate the abandoned sites when the climate turned favorable once more. There are, of course,
other factors that determine sea snake distributions—temperature and prey abundance, for example.
But to the extent that evolving populations have a physiological requirement for freshwater, they are
more likely to survive in regions of high compared with low precipitation. Moreover, the changing
availability of freshwater potentially influences the dynamics of coral reef communities, because sea
snakes can be important top predators there.
The irregularity and unpredictability of rainfall patterns is likely to limit the distribution of at
least some marine snake populations. It might even explain, in whole or in part, certain declines and
local extinctions that have recently been documented. Precipitation has generally decreased over the
tropics since the 1970s, and climate models predict it will decrease further in tropical regions with seasonal drought. Because at least some sea snakes are dependent on freshwater, we may expect to see
corresponding changes in their populations.
But little file snakes and the two sea snake subfamilies of the Elapidae (the Hydrophiinae and
the Laticaudinae) are not the only snakes that live in saltwater. A few members of two other snake lineages, both in the family Colubridae, inhabit the brackish waters of salt marshes and estuaries. William Dunson has shown that those species probably also depend on freshwater. Thus, species
representing four out of five distinct lineages of snakes that inhabit saltwater are now known to require freshwater to maintain normal water balance. The fifth, the Hydrophiinae, has not yet been thoroughly studied in that context. Although hydrophiines are the snakes most completely adapted to life
in the sea, it does seem likely that they, too, need the sweet stuff: Dunson has observed that some hydrophiine sea snakes undergo a net loss of body water in seawater, and the pelagic species P. platurus
not only will drink freshwater in the lab, but also reportedly dehydrates when fasting in seawater. My
team and I are planning studies of representative hydrophiine sea snakes to settle the matter.
Understanding the water requirements of all sea snakes could prove to be crucial to their conservation. Some researchers have suggested that they may turn out to be indicator species for the
health of coral reefs, which are in deep ecological crisis. Sea snakes’ thirst also raises the question of
whether other marine reptiles, such as sea turtles, might turn out to be more dependent on freshwater
than we’ve presumed.
Web links related to this article:

“Sea Snakes (Laticauda spp.) Require Fresh Drinking Water: Implication for the Distribution and
Persistence of Populations,” by Harvey B. Lillywhite et al. (PDF)

Nitrogen Excretion and Osmotic Regulation (Marietta College)

“Life History of Sea Snakes of New Caledonia,” by Francois Brischoux and Xavier Bonnet (English
text begins on page 27; PDF)

“Precipitation and Freshwater Lens Formation in the Tropical Western Pacific,” by Jon Schrage
and C.A. Clayson

“Mariposa, Salt, and Thirsting” (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (PDF)
Reprinted from Natural History Magazine (http://www.naturalhistorymag.com)
Source URL (retrieved on 2010-05-26 17:07): http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/features/081302/along-drink-of-water
Humans Could One Day Re-Grow Limbs Just Like Amphibians,
Thanks To Gene Discovery
by Rosemary Black
DAILY NEWS Staff Writer
The ability to make like an
amphibian and regrow a limb may
sound like the stuff of sci-fi movies. But thanks to a scientific discovery, it may one day be possible
for humans to regenerate not just
an amputated limb, but a broken
back or even a damaged brain, according to an article in the Daily
Telegraph.
Researchers at the Wistar
Institute in Philadelphia have
learned that a particular gene
seems to block the healing power
that some animals, like amphibians, still have but which other
Prosthetic limbs could one day be a thing of the past if humans
species have lost through evoluwere to re-grow limbs after 'turning off' a certain gene.
tion.
UpperCut/Getty
When that gene, p21, is
switched off, the healing power gets turned back on, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Wistar Institute scientists discovered that mice without the p21 gene have the ability to regenerate damaged or lost tissue. The researchers switched off the gene in some mice that had damaged
ears, and the mice regrew their ears instead of forming a scar to heal a wound, which is what humans
do.
Not having the p21 gene means the cells in the mice act more like embryonic stem cells – they
regenerate – rather than adult mammalian cells.
“Much like a newt that has lost a limb,” lead scientist Professor Ellen Heber-Katz said, according
to the Daily Telegraph, “these mice will replace missing or damaged tissue with healthy tissue that
lacks any sign of scarring.”
The scientists’ research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, offers sound evidence that tissue regeneration is associated with the control of cell division. Though the
research is very early, the scientists say that in theory, at least, it’s possible to do the same thing with
humans.
Reprinted from the NY Daily News
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2010/03/17/2010-0317_humans_could_one_day_regrow_limbs_just_like_amphibians_thanks_to_gene_discovery.html
March 17th 2010
Ultraviolet Radiation Not Culprit Killing Amphibians ( continued from page 48 )
"When simple tests of species physiology are interpreted outside of the animal's natural environment, we often come to the wrong conclusions," Palen says.
For one thing there are lots of "natural sunscreens" in the water. They are in the form of dissolved organic matter -- remnants of leaves and other matter from wetlands and terrestrial areas that
are dissolved in the water, much like tea dissolved in a mug of water. The more dissolved organic matter, the less UV exposure.
And places where the water is more crystal clear, the females from the susceptible salamander
behaved differently.
"There hasn't been a lot of work on whether organisms are capable of sensing UV intensity, but
these salamanders certainly do," Schindler says. "They change their behavior, with the females laying
their eggs in the shade when the clarity of the water puts their eggs at risk."
If for some reason UV radiation were to become much more intense, it could reach a point
where amphibians can't behave in ways that protect them, Palen says. But the restrictions on the use
of ozone-depleting chemicals, under what's called the Montreal Protocol, appear to be helping restore
the ozone layer, which filters the amount of UV radiation reaching Earth.
"By critically evaluating what appear to be threats to ecosystems, we can refine our research
and conservation priorities and move onto those that will make a difference in helping amphibians survive," Palen says.
The study area includes one of the richest amphibian habitats in northwest Washington's
Olympic National Park. The work was conducted in the Seven Lakes Basin of the Sol Duc drainage in
subalpine terrain, that is, on mountain sides just at the point trees struggle to grow.
Palen and Schindler intentionally looked at the most-sensitive species that has been tested
from the region, the long-toed salamander or Ambystoma macrodactylum, and the least sensitive, the
Cascade frog or Rana cascadae.
The 4-inch long salamander is black with a bright yellow stripe down its back and gets its name
because each of its back feet has a toe that is long compared to the others. On the West Coast, it's
found from Central California to Southeast Alaska. Like most salamanders, it lives its adult life on land
but needs water to reproduce. The Cascades frog, 2- to 3-inches long, is brown with black spots and a
black mask like a raccoon. It's the most common frog found in waterways at sub-alpine elevations from
Northern California to the Canadian border.
The work was supported by the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. National Park Service, Canon National Park Science Scholars program and the UW Department of Biology.
Story Source:
Adapted from materials provided by University of Washington, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Journal Reference: Wendy J. Palen, Daniel E. Schindler. Water clarity, maternal behavior, and physiology combine to eliminate UV radiation risk to amphibians in a montane landscape. Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences, 2010; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0912970107
Reprinted from ScienceDaily.com
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100524101335.htm
May 24, 2010
Rochester's 'Jumping Frog Lab' Part Of Worldwide Feat
Decoding Xenopus tropicalis
An African clawed frog has
joined the spotted green puffer fish,
the honeybee, and the human
among the ranks of more than 175
organisms that have had their genetic information nearly completely
sequenced.
While the research could
help scientists better understand
the factors causing the vast die-off
of amphibians around the globe,
scientists are also excited about the
potential the finding has to improve
human health by giving scientists a
new tool to understand how our
genes work at the most basic level.
Xenopus sps. – Rich Meyer
The genome - the collection of genetic information - of Xenopus tropicalis, a native of subSahara Africa that lives nearly entirely in water, is published in a paper in the April 30 issue of the journal Science. Authors include Jacques Robert, Ph.D., an immunologist at the University of Rochester
Medical Center, one of two dozen institutions worldwide that cooperated in the study. The overall effort was led by Uffe Hellsten of the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute in Walnut Creek,
Calif.
The Xenopus tropicalis genome is composed of more than 1.7 billion chemical bases spread out
on 10 chromosomes. The team found that its genome has between 20,000 and 21,000 genes, including
more than 1,700 genes that are very similar to genes in people that are related to conditions like cancer, asthma, and heart disease.
Robert's group contributed significantly to information on about 200 of the frog's genes.
"This is a great starting point for really working with Xenopus to understand how genes are regulated," said Robert, associate professor of Microbiology and Immunology. "It's a big step forward.
Now the real work begins - understanding how and when those genes are turned on or off, and how
they work together during development and disease. Xenopus holds the promise of becoming a very
powerful model to help us learn more about our own genes."
Robert noted that cracking the genome code is a far cry from actually understanding how genes
work. In humans, for instance, the genetic code was published in 2001, but the science of understanding how our genes actually work is still in its infancy.
"Having the genome in hand helps make Xenopus very attractive for the further study of gene
organization, regulation and function," Robert added.
The findings published in Science are based on the DNA of a single African clawed frog whose
DNA was broken down into small pieces that were replicated many, many times, then sent to laboratories around the world for analysis. The project sprang from a meeting of researchers in Walnut Creek,
Calif., in 2002, when the world's top Xenopus experts, including Robert, decided to join forces to conquer the genome of Xenopus tropicalis, a common research subject for genetics researchers.
Xenopus tropicalis becomes the first frog to join the list of organisms whose genomes have
been sequenced by scientists. In addition to the spotted green puffer fish, the honeybee, and the human, the list includes dozens of pathogens that infect people, as well as at least one species each of
mosquito, fruit fly, flower, worm, dog, rat and chicken.
Frogs and humans share many features in the earliest stages of their development, dating back
to a time before they went their separate ways 360 million years ago. Many of a frog's systems, such as
its nervous, skeletal and immune systems, develop much like a person's do, and so frogs are frequently
used by scientists trying to understand people at their most basic level.
For instance, the 1,700 genes in Xenopus tropicalis that are very similar to disease-related
genes in people give scientists a laboratory of sorts to analyze those genes, to learn how they cause
disease in people.
Scientists found additional similarities between the frog genes and human genes. For instance,
genes in frogs have very similar neighboring genes as humans about 90 percent of the time. In other
words, the frog genome contains the same sort of "gene neighborhoods" as the human genome. This is
important as scientists try to understand how groups of neighboring genes work together. Such questions are significant, as many conditions, such as heart disease and cancer, are thought to be related to
activity by scores, if not hundreds, of genes, as well as lifestyle and other environmental factors.
A surprise finding is the number of mobile genetic elements, sometimes called "jumping
genes," that scientists found in the Xenopus genome. Such sequences, known as transposons, were
once considered "junk DNA" simply because scientists did not know if they had a function, but now,
many scientists believe they may be key in determining how an organism's genes actually work.
One-third of the frog genome is made up of transposons, and of those, an unusually high percentage - three-quarters - of the transposons are DNA transposons, capable of moving genes around
directly. Scientists are trying to understand the implications.
Among the worldwide team, Robert
is one of two authors who specialize in the
immune system - understanding how the
body protects itself from threats like microbes and other foreign invaders, and how the
body understands what to attack and what
not to attack. Confusion on that front leads
to disorders that afflict hundreds of millions
of people with conditions like asthma, lupus,
multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
A better understanding of the immune system is also important for more effectively treating diseases like cancer or Alzheimer's disease. Scientists, including several at the University of Rochester Medical
Center, are trying to develop vaccines that
are specially designed to fight these diseases by incorporating information about how the
Xenopus sps. – Rich Meyer
immune system separates friend from foe. Frogs develop such a system not just once, like most organisms, but twice - the second time when they remake themselves and morph from tadpole to frog.
In the current study, Robert and colleagues found a striking similarity between frogs and humans among genes related to proteins known as MHC ( major histocompatibility complex ) proteins,
which play a key role helping an organism detect foreign materials or organisms, as well as in detecting
and controlling cancerous cells.
In addition to his work decoding Xenopus tropicalis, Robert heads a unique international resource in Rochester: the Xenopus laevis Research Resource for Immunobiologyworld's most comprehensive resource specializing in the use of Xenopus for immunological research.. The laboratory,
funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, does extensive work on a species of
frog that is a bigger cousin to the one discussed in the Science paper. It's the
The resource has been funded by NIAID since 2004 and was recently funded for another five
years. Through the laboratory, which is devoted to research in immunology and biomedical research,
Robert and colleagues make available to other scientists around the globe tools such as reagents, antibodies, and genetically modified frogs for study.
Source:
Tom Rickey
University of Rochester Medical Center
Reprinted from Medical News Today
Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/187230.php
May 01, 2010
Pesticide Atrazine Can Turn Male Frogs into Females
By Robert Sanders
BERKELEY —Atrazine, one of
the world's most widely used
pesticides, wreaks havoc with
the sex lives of adult male
frogs, emasculating threequarters of them and turning
one in 10 into females, according to a new study by University
of California, Berkeley, biologists.
The 75 percent that are
chemically castrated are essentially "dead" because of their
inability to reproduce in the
wild, reports UC Berkeley's Tyrone B. Hayes, professor of integrative biology.
Xenopus laevis – Rich Meyer
"These male frogs are missing testosterone and all the things that testosterone controls, including sperm. So their fertility is as low as 10 percent in some cases, and that is only if we isolate those animals and pair them with females," he said. "In an environment where they are competing with unexposed animals, they have zero chance of reproducing."
The 10 percent or more that turn from males into females – something not known to occur under natural conditions in amphibians – can successfully mate with male frogs but, because these females are genetically male, all their offspring are male.
"When we grow these guys up, depending on the family, we will get anywhere from 10 to 50
percent females," Hayes said. "In a population, the genetically male females can decrease or wipe out
a population just because they skew sex ratios so badly."
Though the experiments were performed on a common laboratory frog, the African clawed frog
( Xenopus laevis ), field studies indicate that Atrazine, a potent endocrine disruptor, similarly affects
frogs in the wild, and could possibly be one of the causes of amphibian declines around the globe,
Hayes said.
Hayes and his UC Berkeley colleagues report their results in this week's online early edition of
the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In last week's issue of the Journal of Experimental Biology, Hayes and colleagues published a review of the possible causes of a worldwide de-
cline in amphibian populations, concluding that Atrazine and other hormone-disrupting pollutants are
a likely contributor because they affect recruitment of new individuals and make amphibians more
susceptible to disease.
"These kinds of problems, like sex-reversing animals skewing sex ratios, are much more dangerous than any chemical that would kill off a population of frogs," he said. "In exposed populations, it
looks like there are frogs breeding but, in fact, the population is being very slowly degraded by the introduction of these altered animals."
Some 80 million pounds of the herbicide Atrazine are applied annually in the United States on
corn and sorghum to control weeds and increase crop yield, but such widespread use also makes Atrazine the most common pesticide contaminant of ground and surface water, according to various studies.
More and more research, however, is showing that Atrazine interferes with endocrine hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone – in fish, amphibians, birds, reptiles, laboratory rodents and
even human cell lines at levels of parts per billion. Recent studies also found a possible link between
human birth defects and low birth weight and Atrazine exposure in the womb.
As a result of these studies, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reviewing its regulations on use of the pesticide. Several states are considering banning Atrazine, and six class action lawsuits have been filed seeking to eliminate its use. The European Union already bars the use of Atrazine.
Hayes's studies in the early 2000s were the first to show that the hormonal effects of Atrazine
disrupt sexual development in amphibians. Working with the African clawed frog, Hayes and his colleagues showed in 2002 that tadpoles raised in Atrazine-contaminated water become hermaphrodites
– they develop both female ( ovaries ) and male ( testes ) gonads. This occurred at Atrazine levels as
low as 0.1 parts per billion ( ppb ), 30 times lower than levels allowed in drinking water by the EPA ( 3
ppb ).
Subsequent studies showed that native leopard frogs (Rana pipiens) collected from Atrazinecontaminated streams in the Midwest, including from areas up to 1,000 miles from where Atrazine is
applied, often had eggs in their testes. And many males had lower testosterone levels than normal females and smaller than normal voice boxes, presumably limiting their ability to call mates.
Hayes' research also established that many frogs in Midwestern streams contaminated by Atrazine and other pesticides have compromised immune systems, leading to increased mortality from
bacterial disease.
Those early studies were hampered by the inability to easily distinguish genetically male from
genetically female frogs. Male frogs have two identical sex chromosomes (ZZ) while females have both
a Z and a W – the opposite of XX female and XY male humans. But because all frog chromosomes look
the same under a light microscope, it's not simple to distinguish male from female.
To overcome this, Hayes' colleague Roger Liu developed a line of all-male frogs so that the genetics would be unequivocal.
"Before, we knew we got fewer males than we should have, and we got hermaphrodites. Now,
we have clearly shown that many of these animals are sex-reversed males," Hayes said. "We have animals that are females, in the sense that they behave like females: They have estrogen, lay eggs, they
mate with other males. Atrazine has caused a hormonal imbalance that has made them develop into
the wrong sex, in terms of their genetic constitution."
Coincidentally, another lab in 2008 discovered a sex-linked genetic marker in Xenopus, which
has allowed Hayes to confirm the genetic sex of his frogs.
In Hayes' study, where 40 frogs lived for about three years after hatching in water with 2.5 ppb
Atrazine, about 10 percent of the frogs appeared to be resistant to the effects of the pesticide. In ongoing studies, Hayes is investigating whether this apparent resistance is inherited, as well as whether the
sex-reversed males have more susceptible offspring.
Syngenta, which manufactures Atrazine, disputes many of these studies, including Hayes', that
show adverse effects of the pesticide. But Hayes said that "when you have studies all over the world
showing problems with Atrazine in every vertebrate that has been looked at – fish, frogs, reptiles,
birds, mammals – all of them can't be wrong."
"What people have to realize is that, just as with taking pharmaceuticals, they have to decide
whether the benefits outweigh the costs," he said. "Not every frog or every human will be affected by
Atrazine, but do you want to take a chance, what with all the other things that we know Atrazine does,
not just to humans but to rodents and frogs and fish?"
Hayes' long-term studies of the effects of Atrazine on frogs have been assisted by many UC
Berkeley students, including co-authors on the current paper: undergraduates Vicky Khoury, Anne Narayan, Mariam Nazir, Andrew Park, Lillian Adame and Elton Chan; and graduate students Travis Brown,
Daniel Buchholz, Sherrie Gallipeau and Theresa Stueve.
The work was funded by the Park Water Co., Mitch Kapor, Freada Klein, the Mitch Kapor Foundation, the David Foundation, the Cornell-Douglas Foundation, the Wallace Foundation, the UC Berkeley Class of '43 endowed chair and the Howard Hughes Biology Fellows Program.
Contact: Robert Sanders, Tel: (510) 643-6998, Email: rsanders@berkeley.edu
Source: UC Berkeley - University of California, Berkeley
Reprinted from the Insciences organization
http://insciences.org/home.php
http://insciences.org/article.php?article_id=8426
Published on 1 March 2010
Cane Toads Killing Australian Crocs
by Lauren Monaghan
SYDNEY: Turning the tables on their predators, invasive
cane toads are making a significant dent in northern Australia’s freshwater crocodile population, a new survey
reveals.
“While there’s always talk about cane toads having an impact on Australian wildlife, in many cases what
we tend to lack is the smoking gun type of evidence,”
said biologist Michael Letnic, leader of the team behind
the discovery at the University of Sydney in New South
Wales. “But now, in our study, we may have found that
smoking gun.”
Smoking gun
While the toads ( Bufo marinus ) are believed to be toxic
to a variety of native species, including quolls, goannas
and snakes, Letnic’s research – soon to be published in The last supper: Is this plump cane toad
journal Biological Conservation – is among the first
the last thing that croc ever ate?
to link the toads to both specific deaths and a population
Credit: University of Sydney
decline, he said.
Letnic’s team began studying freshwater crocodiles ( Crocodylus johnstoni ) two years ago in the
Victoria River district of the Northern Territory, before cane toads invaded the region.
“When we first went in we counted about 700 crocodiles *in one area+ and found no dead ones
at all,” Letnic said. “But then we went back… after the cane toads had started moving through. This
time we found less than 400 crocodiles… and, in the space of a week, we found over 30 dead.”
“On the whole there was about a 70 per cent reduction in population numbers, and the only
thing that had changed was that the cane toads had arrived… they were killing the crocodiles,” he said.
Dissecting the dead crocs, the researchers found several with toads in their stomachs, suggesting that the poison-gland equipped amphibians were one of the last meals they ever made.
Bouncing back
The apparently devastating effect of the cane toad on a top predator such as the freshwater
crocodile is disturbing, commented Ross Alford, a biologist from James Cook University in Townsville,
Queensland.
“In many ecological systems, the top predators are very important in keeping the system in balance,” he said. A decline in crocodile numbers could cause a knock-on population boom in the species
they would usually prey upon or compete with. In turn this could lead to an unchecked exploitation of
resources by the newly abundant creatures, throwing the ecosystem out of sync, Alford said.
By understanding the toad’s impact, however, “we can know where to focus control efforts to
reduce the most serious effects," he said.
Letnic's team plans to continue monitoring the freshwater crocs and their amphibian nemesis.
“It’s likely we’ll actually see a rapid evolution of the crocodiles. The ones that like to eat the
toads… *but+ don’t have any resistance to their poison will die and not pass on their genes," said Letnic.
"The ones that maybe have some resistance will survive [and allow] the population to eventually
bounce back.”
Cosmos Online
http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/2037/cane-toads-killing-australian-crocs
June 6, 2008
Zimbabwe: Villagers Pin Hopes On Crocodiles
Roselyne Sachiti
Harare — A SMALL disabled baby crocodile the size of an adult lizard crawls into a pond of water, its
sluggish body struggling to keep up with the fast pace of other able-bodied reptiles.
The baby crocodile, now three-months-old, was born with multiple disabilities on its spine
caused by improper handling of its egg when it was taken from the Runde River sandbank in Chiredzi.
Its head is attached to its left leg and its spine is horribly twisted but it has the right to live like
any other crocodile.
Its sex has not yet been determined and is among a bask of 318 baby crocodiles being bred at a
farm named after the country's first female Vice President Cde Joice Mujuru.
After years of observing that sand has declared a sharp contest with water and continues to
choke the Runde River, gagging the crocodile population, villagers came together to find a conservation solution.
Agricultural extension officer Mr. Tawanda Baramasimbe, who works with the group, said the
crocodile project was born following a series of meetings by villagers under Chief Chilonga's area.
"We took into consideration that Zimbabwe is an agro-based economy whose majority population stays in rural areas and earns a living largely from subsistence farming.
"We also realised that rain patterns have changed and the fact that most of the smallholder
farmers here are heavily dependent on rain-fed agriculture. We had challenges in expanding irrigation
development and saw it fit to turn to crocodile farming," he said.
The farm's incubator and hatchery ensure that a high percentage of the eggs collected yield a
fine crop of hatchlings.
Mr. Baramasimbe said they expected to rear the hatchlings commercially once they have attained a slaughter size of approximately 1,5 metres in length.
"The crocodiles will be slaughtered with the skins and meat being the two primary export
commodities.
"We are lucky that the white farmer who used to stay at this farm was also into crocodile farming hence the facilities that include ponds, incubators and boilers were easily available.
"We hope that the project will bring income, development and attract tourists in the long run
and will not worry if we fail to harvest much from our crops that are in a bad state."
The co-operative is under the watchful eye of 28 villagers and A1 farmers who tirelessly work to
ensure that everything goes well.
Mr. Baramasimbe said the crocodile project was likely to become a means of livelihood for the
villagers and raise the community's hopes of contributing towards achieving Millennium Development
Goal Number One.
The MDG seeks to halve the proportion of people whose income is less than the Total Consumption Poverty Line by 2015.
The Goal also tries to halve by 2015, the proportion of people in human poverty, as measured
by the Human Poverty Index (HPI) and the villagers are confident of achieving it come the deadline.
"Since independence, Zimbabwe has registered commendable progress in environmental management in areas that include afforestation programmes, land reclamation and natural resource conservation programmes, helping to transform previously degraded parts of the country into natural resource reservoirs.
"We want our reservoir to grow and be counted among the most successful crocodile farms in
the country," he added.
Mr. Baramasimbe said they collected crocodile eggs from Runde River banks, which is a breeding ground for the crocodiles.
The climate on the farm, which neighbours the wide Runde River, is perfect for crocodile breeding with mild winters and hot summers.
"We now know their breeding patterns, the manner in which they hide their eggs and how to
get them without being attacked. After collecting the eggs from the wild we bring them to the farms
where we incubate and hatch them. The hatchlings are raised in captivity and later put in ponds," he
said.
There are six ponds housing the baby crocodiles and they are grouped according to their ages
and growth patterns.
Co-operative members take turns to feed the crocodiles with goat meat and fish.
"For now, feeding them is not a problem as their appetite is still small. We ask each cooperative member to pay money to buy goats from other villagers. Goats here cost between US$15
and US$30 and this means that if each member pays US$1 every week we can afford to buy the goat.
"We will increase the fees as the crocodiles grow so that we keep up with their hunger," he
added.
Another co-operative member, Mr. Richard Magezani said they were planning to breed their
own goats so that the crocodiles have a ready meal.
He said goat breeding would help them save money.
But he fears that limited food resources on the farm may result in them selling the crocodiles
while they were still small.
They are also looking forward to forging partnerships with other crocodile farmers who would
help with slaughtering and get lucrative export markets.
He said they hoped to find safer means of transporting the eggs from the river to the incubators
to avoid shaking them.
"We are currently using a tractor to transport the fragile eggs but the ride from Runde River to
the farm is sometimes bumpy.
"Shaking the eggs during transportation disturbs embryo development resulting in different
forms of disability on the crocodiles.
"All three disabled crocodiles here are victims of such accidents. We will not kill the disabled
baby crocodiles, but will let fate choose their destiny," said another cooperative member Mrs. Tendai
Jemu.
With the country's earnings from the crocodile farming industry growing significantly from
US$300 000 in 1980 to US$2,6 million in 1989 (Miur 1994), such projects at smallholder levels may positively impact on the lives of many rural folk.
In 1991, over 58 000 eggs were collected from the wild, mostly from Lake Kariba and the industry earned US$2 million in hide sales (Makombe 1993).

In Zimbabwe, farmers are required to return the proportion of hatched crocodiles to the
wild. This led to significant increases in the wild population

Unregulated hunting of crocodiles mainly for skin and meat led to major decline in the populations of all three species on the African continent and the introduction of trade controls
under the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Within Africa, crocodiles were first bred in Zimbabwe but have now spread to many parts of
the continent particularly Southern and Eastern African Countries.

Crocodile farming does not only generate income for households and food security, but also
has direct conservation benefits.
Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Reprinted from THE HERALD at allafrica.com
http://allafrica.com/stories/201003160055.html
Published March 16, 2010
January 03-2007
“Old Rip”
Did a horned lizard really survive for 31 years inside a cornerstone?
by Teresa S. Newton
The legend of Old Rip, Eastland County's famous
horned lizard, spurs a lot of questions. Can a horny toad really hibernate for 31 years? Was the lizard presented to
crowds when the courthouse cornerstone was opened in
1928 the same one that had been deposited there in 1897?
Did Old Rip, by his own fame, cause the downfall of his own
kind?
The story is hard to prove, yet difficult to disprove.
People either believe or not. Still, 80 years after his comingout party, Old Rip draws tourists to view him in a velvet-lined coffin, lying in state at the Eastland County courthouse.
The Texas horned lizard's adventures started July 29, 1897, when 4-year-old Will Wood caught
the reptile and named him Blinky. Will's dad, Eastland County Clerk Ernest E. Wood, was heading
downtown when he decided to use the horny toad to test a theory. The elder Wood had read about
the ancient belief that horned lizards could live up to 100 years in hibernation.
Wood offered Blinky and a note to be placed in the cornerstone of the new courthouse. Officials said they placed the horned frog, the note, a Bible and several newspapers and coins in the small
vault.
Years passed, and Eastland County's oil boom brought more people and paperwork. By 1928,
the courthouse wasn't big enough, and voters approved building a new one.
"Mr. Wood stopped me and said they were building a new courthouse and there was a horned
frog in [ the old courthouse ]," says 94-year-old Eldress Gattis of Eastland, one of a handful of surviving
eyewitnesses to the cornerstone opening. "He was always kidding, but I don't think he would go that
far with a practical joke."
Boyce House, editor of the Eastland Argus-Tribune, passed the story along to news agencies. By
noon on February 18, a crowd reportedly between 1,000 and 3,000 surrounded the courthouse rubble.
Ed S. Pritchard, the county judge, officiated over the cornerstone opening. To ensure no sleight
of hand, the Rev. Frank E. Singleton, a Methodist pastor, would observe the procedure. Workers
cleared the cornerstone and removed the metal sheet covering the small cavity. Singleton looked in.
"There's the frog!" he called out.
Eugene Day, a local oilman and brother-in-law to Ernest E.
Wood, reached in, bringing forth a flat, dusty horned lizard. He passed
the toad to Singleton, who gave it to Pritchard. The judge raised the
reptile high.
"He's alive!" Pritchard yelled. The crowd roared, pushing children aside in order to see the small celebrity. Some tried to grab the
creature.
"I got there late and got on top of a pile of rubble to see what was going on," says Gattis, 14 at
the time. "When they uncovered it, I couldn't see him. Then (Pritchard) held him by the tail, and he
was wiggling."
"I am positive there was no hoax perpetrated," preacher Singleton later declared to the Associated Press.
The lizard was renamed Old Rip, for Rip Van Winkle, and placed on display in a local store window.
Newspaper reporters quoted zoological experts on the plausibility of surviving a three-decade sleep.
Articles from throughout the nation reported eyewitness accounts of similar incidents with horned lizards, frogs and similar creatures.
Texas Christian University sent a biology team to examine Old Rip. An X-ray revealed a broken
leg. His horns and spikes were worn down, possibly from trying to escape his prison. His mouth and
eyes appeared sealed shut, but it was still hibernation season. Otherwise, he was healthy.
Rip rested peacefully, but not those around him. When cynics claimed Day, Singleton or Pritchard brought a live horny toad in case the original was dead, local businessman Hiram McCandliss offered $1,000 to anyone who could find a horned toad in February – a near-impossible feat since the lizards were hibernating underground. Will Wood attributed the horned lizard's survival to the Bible enclosed with him.
The curious swarmed to Eastland to view the natural oddity. Merchants and the chamber of
commerce were ecstatic. Postcards with Old Rip's official portrait sold at a brisk pace.
Demand for horned toads exploded. Zoos wanted them. A local gas station offered a horned lizard with each fill-up. The Dallas Advertising League quickly sold 600 lizards at the International Advertising Association of the World convention in Detroit. Sid Sackett of Coleman, the only known horned
lizard breeder at the time, saw prices jump from five cents a head to 25 cents.
College professors in Brownwood prepared to seal a horned lizard in an airtight container to
test the hibernation theory. Eastland County planned to place a horny toad in the new courthouse cornerstone that May. In both instances, the Fort Worth Humane Society intervened, and the creatures
were released.
That spring, Old Rip slowly became more animated, finally eating and drinking after four or five
weeks. He was displayed at events across the nation. President Calvin Coolidge delayed 300 visitors to
meet with Eastland's celebrity. Rip became an item in "Ripley's Believe It Or Not."
Back home in Eastland, Old Rip's abode was a fish bowl filled with sand in a store window. He
entertained visitors by eating harvester ants, every horny toad's favorite food. Eventually he settled in
with Will Wood's family in Eastland.
Life with the Wood children provided adventure. Edith Wood Grissom, Will's older daughter,
recalled Old Rip for an oral history project in the 1970s.
"Old Rip was my pet. He dashed from an ant bed in front of a truck with me in pursuit, and later
to a vacant lot where I had released 250 horned frogs," she recounted. "He was easy to find as he was
gray with worn horns and a limp from a broken leg. He hibernated in a goldfish bowl, and I put him on
the back porch. He froze."
The legendary lizard died of pneumonia Jan. 19, 1929, 11 months after his courthouse release.
Will Wood had Old Rip preserved, courtesy of the Barrow Undertaking Company. The National
Casket Company provided a tiny casket. Grieving friends said goodbye during an extended visitation at
the funeral home and later at the courthouse.
But even death wasn't the end of the Old Rip story. County officials allowed him to travel to fairs and exhibitions. After World War II,
the Wood family returned Old Rip to a courthouse enclosure.
Old Rip became a part of the Eastland economy for decades with
the Old Rip Café, Old Rip Cap Co. and an Old Rip soda, produced by a local bottling company.
Legendary cartoon director Chuck Jones borrowed from the cornerstone story for his film classic
One Froggy Evening. The character, Michigan J. Frog, is the symbol for the WB, the
Warner Brothers television network.
Residents celebrate Old Rip with a ceremony each Feb. 18 at the courthouse.
Local dignitaries and school children gather to repeat the Old Rip Oath, which provides they keep his
legend alive. Ripfest is held on the first Saturday of October.
Old Rip's kin are hardly seen in Eastland County anymore. Pesticide overuse in the 1960s and
1970s and the invasion of fire ants harmed the harvester ant, horned lizards' main food. The lizards
have disappeared from East and Central Texas, with only a few reported in the Dallas-Fort Worth area
and Milam County, says Lee Ann Linam, president of the Horned Lizard Conservation Society.
In 1967 the state of Texas made the sale of a horned lizard illegal. In 1977 the reptiles were
added to the state's threatened species list. In the 1980s ownership of a horned toad became off limits. The Horned Lizard Conservation Society was formed in 1990 to save the beloved critter.
Linam says the average Texas horned lizard lives only five to 10 years, but adds, "Old Rip was a
very unusual horned lizard."
Reprinted from the Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine
http://www.tpwmagazine.com/archive/2008/oct/legend/
October 2008
Legend, lore & legacy
Solar Showdown In Calif. Tortoises' Desert Home
By Michael R. Blood, Associated Press Writer
This Sept.3, 2008 file photo shows an endangered desert tortoise, which didn't move when a vehicle
approached, sitting in the middle of a road in the proposed location of three BrightSource Energy solar-energy generation complexes in the eastern Mojave Desert several miles from an old mining and
railroad town site called Ivanpah, Calif. The Oakland, Calif.-based BrightSource Energy has been
pushing for more than two years for permission to erect 400,000 mirrors on the site to gather the
sun's energy. It could become the first project of its kind on U.S. Bureau of Land Management property, leaving a footprint for others to follow on vast stretches of public land across the West.
AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File
LOS ANGELES – On a strip of California's Mojave Desert, two dozen rare tortoises could stand in
the way of a sprawling solar-energy complex in a case that highlights mounting tensions between wilderness conservation and the nation's quest for cleaner power.
Oakland, Calif.-based BrightSource Energy has been pushing for more than two years for permission to erect 400,000 mirrors on the site to gather the sun's energy. It could become the first
project of its kind on U.S. Bureau of Land Management property, leaving a footprint for others to follow on vast stretches of public land across the West.
The construction would come with a cost: Government scientists have concluded that more
than 6 square miles of habitat for the federally threatened desert tortoise would be permanently lost.
The Sierra Club and other environmentalists want the complex relocated to preserve what they
call a near-pristine home for rare plants and wildlife, including the protected tortoise, the Western burrowing owl and bighorn sheep.
"It's actually a good project. It's just located in the wrong place," said Ileene Anderson of the
Center for Biological Diversity, a Tucson, Ariz.-based environmental group.
The dispute is likely to echo for years as more companies seek to develop solar, wind and geothermal plants on land treasured by environmentalists who also support the growth of alternative
energy. In an area of stark beauty, the question will be what is worth preserving and at what cost as
California pushes to generate one-third of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
The Bureau of Land Management has received more than 150 applications for large-scale solar
projects on 1.8 million acres of federal land in California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and
Utah. In California alone, such projects could claim an area the size of Rhode Island, transforming the
state into the world's largest solar farm.
BrightSource Energy wants permission to construct three solar power plants on the site that together would generate enough power each year for 142,000 homes, potentially generating billions of
dollars of revenue over time.
The sun's power is used to heat water and make steam, which in turn drives turbines to create electricity. Built in phases, the project would include seven, 459-foot metal towers, a natural gas pipeline, water tanks, steam turbine generators, boilers and buildings for administration and maintenance. Each
plant would be surrounded by 8-foot high steel fencing.
The site has virtually unbroken sunshine most of the year, and is near transmission lines that
can carry the power to consumers.
In November, federal and state biologists reviewing the plan proposed that the company catch
and move the tortoises and preserve 12,000 acres elsewhere, a proposal that could cost BrightSource
an estimated $25 million.
John Kessler, a project manager for the California Energy Commission, said there is disagreement with BrightSource over what the company would pay for long-term maintenance for the land
that would be purchased, and the company also believes the cost of buying it should be less.
The company declined to comment directly on those issues.
It will likely be months before state and federal regulators considering the plan make a decision
on the tortoises' fate.
BrightSource President John Woolard warned in government filings released this month that
heavy-handed regulation could kill the proposal. He did not mention the tortoises directly but referred
to "unbounded and extreme" requirements being placed on the company.
At a time when the White House is pushing for the rapid development of green power, Woolard
predicted the outcome in the California desert would reverberate widely.
The large-scale solar industry "is in its infancy, with great promise to compete with conventional energy," Woolard wrote. "Overburdening this fledgling industry will cause it to be stillborn, ending
that promise before it has truly begun."
The Sierra Club wants regulators to move the site closer to Interstate 15, the busy freeway connecting Los Angeles and Las Vegas, to avoid what it says will be a virtual death sentence for the tortoises. Estimates of the population have varied, but government scientists say at least 25 would need
to be captured and moved.
The group argues that the reptiles are the "most genetically distinct" of all of California's desert
tortoises and point to a 2007 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report that found the tortoise population is
dropping in parts of a four-state region that includes California.
"The project must not contribute to additional loss of habitat," the Sierra Club said in government filings.
Roy Averill-Murray, the Fish and Wildlife Service's desert tortoise recovery coordinator, said
there are insufficient data to make judgments about the population on the BrightSource site.
Tortoise "populations across the board have declined, but we don't have the same kind of information for this particular patch of ground," Averill-Murray said.
In a statement, BrightSource spokesman Keely Wachs did not address proposals to move all or
part of the complex, pledging that the company "will continue to work with the environmental community to ensure that we establish a good example for projects that follow."
In government filings, the company depicts the site near the Nevada line as far from untouched: It has been used for livestock grazing, has been crisscrossed by off-roaders and the boundary
of a golf club is a half-mile away.
Except for the tortoise, no other federal or state threatened or endangered animal or plant is
on the site, the company said. In 1994 the federal government designated 6.4 million acres as "critical
habitat" for the tortoise in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah, but the BrightSource site was not included "and is by no means in an area critical to the survival of this species," the company concluded.
The complicated review is being watched closely.
"At this point, there are zero solar-energy projects on public land," said Monique Hanis of the
Solar Energy Industries Association, a trade group. "We are looking for ways to expand the market and
reduce barriers ... and get more of these projects moving."
Reprinted from YAHOO! NEWS
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100101/ap_on_bi_ge/us_solar_showdown
January 1, 2010
Ed Bennett
DID YOU KNOW THAT…?
1. The most poisonous reptile in the world is not a snake, but a frog. One golden poison arrow
frog has enough poison in its system to kill ten to twenty humans.
2. During breeding, a male Surinam toad attaches the eggs to the back of the female. The eggs are
then absorbed by the spongy dorsal skin. Each egg is embedded into its own honeycomb-like
chamber on the toad's back. They remain there for up to twenty weeks before they emerge by
pushing through their mother's skin and emerging fully metamorphosed frogs.
3. The tongue of a crocodile is attached to the roof of his mouth, making him incapable of sticking
his tongue out.
4. The North American wood frog survives winters by freezing. When the temperature drops, the
frog is capable of surrounding its organs with water that freezes. During this time, its heart
stops beating, it stops breathing, and its kidneys shut down. The frog can stay in this suspended
animation for months. When spring comes, the frog begins to thaw and is fully functional within
ten hours.
5. Crocodiles swallow large stones that remain in the stomachs. The stones are used to help them
digest their food as well as used as a ballast to help them dive deeper.
6. While hosting Lorne Greene's Wild Kingdom, Greene was bitten by an alligator and lost one of
his nipples.
Thanks to the LIHS Members who manned the tables at the CSHFHA Herp Day in June. The following members attended the event ( let me know if I missed anyone ): Harry Faustmann, John Heiser,
Ed Vega, Kirk and Jesse Peters, the Dunlops: Clara, Noelle, Will and Jamie, Wayne King, and Tara Noseworthy-Ferraro. I’m sure, as always, it was a great day out there, and even better for the herps who got
some fresh air… Harry, “THANKS” for the photos. THANKS to Norman Soule and the CSHFHA
Staff for hosting the event..
Feeding the trout in the runway. Note the
water explode as the food hits the surface.
A CSHFHA worker prepares to feed the trout in the
runway
LIHS Members John Heiser and
TaraNoseworthy man ( woman )
the LIHS tables
LIHS Member Kirk Peters and Ed Vega
LIHS Member Kirk Peters
It’s always a nice day to catch
some UVB and UVA rays
at Herp Day
Nothing could be nicer than a
day at CSHFHA with your herps
and fellow herpers. The turtle
pond in the foreground, and the
LIHS tables in the background.
Always worth the trip to visit
the CSHFHA
Everyone, time to get out of the
pond and warm up
SPECIAL THANKS to John Heiser (
pictured ) who is always there to
man the LIHS Tables at exhibitions
as well as Harry Faustmann ( not
pictured – because he’s always
taking these great photos at LIHS
Exhibitions and meetings )……
Reptology Habitat Enclosures for Reptiles
and Amphibians. Penn-Plax Inc., announces
three new lines of Reptology Habitat Enclosures for
Reptiles and Amphibians. Classic Glass Habitats are
the company’s traditional terrarium line; Natural
Wood Habitats are similar in design but with beautiful wood frames; and Decorator Habitats are designed to look like pieces of furniture, according to
the manufacturer. The company adds that the habitats are made with quality materials and designed
with numerous features that encourage healthy and natural living environments.
www.pennplax.com
ReptiSun Terrarium Hood . Zoo Med Laboratories
presents the ReptiSun Terrarium Hood. The product includes a low profile hood that holds a NatureSun or T8
ReptiSun linear fluorescent lamp, and the hood has an
electronic ballast for maximum light output and increased
energy efficiency, the company reports. The ReptiSun Terrarium Hoods are low profile hoods designed to hold one
T8 size linear fluorescent lamp. The ReptiSun Terrarium
Hoods feature a built-in reflector which allows for deeper
penetration of visible light and UVB .Convenient on/off
switch. The LF-62 fits terrariums that are 30 in. wide and up ( 20 gallons long or larger ) and fits a 24in. T8 lamp, while the LF-60 fits terrariums that are 20 in. wide and up ( 10 gallons or larger ) and
holds an 18-in. T8.
www.zoomed.com
The Exo Terra Mayan Rainforest Habitat Kit, is an all-in-one
reptile terrarium package with a background design inspired by art
found in Mayan temples. Measuring 18x18x24 in. and made of black
polystyrene, each kit includes an Exo Terra Glass Terrarium and
Compact Top, along with a hygrometer, thermometer and water
dish. Among the Central-America-simulating items in the kit are
Plantation Soil made of compressed coconut husk fiber, as well as
plant accessories, such as the Large Jungle Fern and Jungle Vines, according to the manufacturer.
Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp
www.exo-terra.com
Diamondback Trading Cards - Diamondback Trading Cards manufactures unique trading
cards for the natural history enthusiast of all
ages.
Watch their video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8wVCrNsnoI
More information, click around to browse current stock and upcoming releases.



'Reptiles Series 1', ‘SS – Alterna’, 'Frogs and Toads'
'Reptiles Series 2'
'Arthropods'
http://www.diamondbacktradingcards.com/Home
Reptology Large Turtle Pier. Penn-Plax is proud to introduce the Reptology Large Turtle Pier.
This turtle basking platform automatically adjusts to your water level and is
designed for medium-large aquatic turtles as well as frogs, newts and salamanders. The platform is 16” x 11” and
with the eight extension pylons included, you can adjust the height up to
16” tall! Designed to look like an “authentic pier”, The Reptology Large Turtle Pier will provide an ideal platform
for your turtles to bask. For more information and product videos, please
visit www.pennplax.com.
www.pennplax.com
Natural Cricket Care with added vitamins and minerals is formulated to
provide a nutrient-filled gut-load for the optimum health of crickets and the herps
that eat them. The product comes in 1 3/4 - and 10-oz. sizes, and its particles come
finely ground for all sizes of crickets, according to the company.
www.zoomed.com
The NATURE ZONE Humidi-Mat helps raise the humidity level in your
enclosure by controlled evaporation of water. They are made from a tough
simulated leather fabric combined with a special osmotic fabric which allows
the release of fine water vapor. Soak in water 12-24 hours to activate, then
place in terrarium. The nontoxic gel inside pouch slowly releases water vapor without saturating the terrarium ( or drowning insects ). Remove and
reactivate when dry. An easy and hassle-free way to create a humid microclimate for your reptile. Convenient mat provides essential moisture to your
reptile's terrarium. A great way to offer moisture to insects without drowning them.
The mats have heat fused seams making them extremely durable and allow
them to be used over and over again.
 Easily activated by simply soaking in water.
 ideal for tropical animals such as Rainbow Boas, Ball Pythons, Dart Frogs, Chameleons, Skinks,
Salamanders or any other humidity loving reptile or animal.
 Two sizes: Small: 7.25" x 3" and Medium: 12” x 3.5”
www.NatureZonePet.com
REPTOLOGY Shale Step Ledge & Cave Hide-Out – Small; REP 181, and Medium; REP 182
Penn Plax Pet Products
Exo Terra Turtle Heater maintains an ideal water temperature ( 78°F ) for aquatic turtles and most other aquatic reptiles and amphibians. The high-impact plastic casing and
the stainless steel power cord protector keeps aquatic reptiles and amphibians safe. Included is a mounting bracket with two oversized suction cups for easy mounting in any
aquatic habitat setup. Can heat up to 30 gallons.



Preset submersible heater
Rugged construction for safety
Two sizes: 25W ( PT3700 ) and 50W ( PT3702 )
www.exo-terra.com
FLUKERS Cricket Quencher ( no calcium ) or FLUKERS Cricket
Quencher Calcium: Provides crickets and other feeder insects with a
safe, clean water source - as well as offering a good source of calcium for
"gut-loading" insects prior to feeding them to your reptile. 16 ounces.
FLUKERS Orange Cubes: Formulated to be easily digested by all feeder insects.
Use of orange cube will drastically reduce the number of drowned, dehydrated and
nutrient deficient crickets. Made from nutritious items such as kelp, spirulina, and
brewer's yeast. Also packed with Vitamins E, B-12, A, D3, and calcium carbonate. 6
ounces and 12 ounces
FLUKERS High Calcium Cricket Diet: Designed for "gut-loading" crickets to increase their vitamin/mineral content prior to offering them as prey, Fluker's Cricket
Feed allows insect-eating pets to benefit from the nutritional value of the insect itself, and from the insect's nutrient-rich gut contents as well. 13 ounces.
www.flukerfarms.com/
REPTOLOGY Terrarium Hide-Outs - Fossil Cave™ Hide-A-Way
Home - For Small Animals & Reptiles; REP 180
Penn Plax Pet Products
San Francisco Bay Brands “Healthy Herp” INSTANT MEALS. From the company that for
years has brought aquarist live brine shrimp and numerous frozen foods comes the “Herp Healthy”
line of FREEZE-DRIED Instant Meals. Healthy Herp™ INSTANT MEALS are All Natural, contains no preservatives and are healthy and nutritious. The meals have been formulated and specifically mixed for
Herbivorous, Omnivorous, or Carnivorous reptiles. The formula mix when rehydrated returns to its
natural state making it irresistible to reptiles.



Natural colors
Natural aroma
Pre cut ( where applicable )



A healthy meal
No preservatives
No refrigeration
Feeding Instructions: Remove lid ( for bulk fill cup with food ), fill cup halfway with warm water, and
wait 5-8 minutes. Drain excess water and place in Stepping Stone Feeding Dish™ or dump into food
dish. Remove any uneaten food after 24 hours and discard. This product has been lightly dusted with
calcium, because different reptiles have different needs, please be familiar with your animal’s requirements and supplement accordingly. This product can be used as a daily diet, in addition to the
daily diet or as a treat. Available in several varieties, and sizes (SM Cup; LG Cup; Bulk Jar; LG Bulk
Jar ). OPTIONAL Stepping Stone Feeding Dish available ( SM and LG size available ). Additional information at http://www.sfbb.com/pdf-intro/hh_intro.pdf or http://www.sfbb.com/whatsnew.asp



Veggie Mix Instant Meal
Fruit Mix Instant Meal
Meat Mix Instant Meal



Box Turtle Food Instant Meal
Tortoise Food Instant Meal
Dragon Food Instant Meal Adult
Optional Stepping Stone
Feeding Dish
San Francisco Bay Brands “Healthy Herp” Frozen Rodents. Four sizes
available; Pinky ( 3 ), Fuzzy ( 3 ), Hopper ( 2 ), Adult (2 ) and ( 50 ) packs. Healthy
Herp Frozen Rodents are safe and easy to feed. Each fuzzy is individually wrapped
to lock in freshness. They are accepted by snakes, turtles, tortoises, lizards and
frogs. Just thaw and feed.
http://www.sfbb.com/whatsnew.asp#
San Francisco Bay Brand, “Healthy Herp” FROZEN Natural Formulated Reptile Diets.
Healthy Herp™ Formulas are formulated with whole fresh ingredients, which provide an excellent
mix of animal and plant proteins ( where applicable ), vitamins and calcium.
•
•
•
•
•
Natural ingredients
Frozen fresh
Scent and color attracts reptiles
A healthy meal
No mess easy pop out cubes
Simply thaw and feed. Available in Aquatic Turtle Diet Adult Formula; Aquatic Turtle Diet Juvenile
Formula; Carnivore Carnage™; Dragon Delight™, Adult Formula; Dragon Delight™, Juvenile Formula;
Fantastic Fruit™; Garden Gumbo™; and Tortoise T’weeds™. Additional information is available at
http://www.sfbb.com/frozen.asp#
www.sfbb.com/home.asp
LIHS MEETING DATES & INFORMATION
LIHS Meeting Dates

September 26th, 2010

October 17th, 2010

November 21st, 2010

December 9th, 2010
Speaker / Topic
Herping in Arizona – Glenn Bartley
Lampropeltis zonata: “Part deaux: Captive
care, Breeding, and Husbandry" - Jerry Kruse
TBA
Holiday Get-Together
MEMBERS ONLY
ALL Meetings ( unless otherwise noted ):



Are OPEN and FREE to the PUBLIC ( UNLESS NOTED )… Bring your friends and family.
Will start at 1:00 PM. They may end earlier than the 4:00 end time, so please be on time.
Will be held at the Farmingdale State College Conference Center on the SUNY Farmingdale
College Campus.
DIRECTIONS to SUNY Farmingdale: http://www.lihs.org/files/meetingplace.htm
 SUNY Farmingdale College Campus Map: http://www.lihs.org/files/FSUNY_MAP.jpg
Speakers will be updated as they are
scheduled. You will receive meeting
updates via email, the Herpetofauna
Journal, REMINDER POSTCARDS, or
for the most Current Information,
please check the LIHS Website:
www.LIHS.org

2010 - Long Island Herpetological Society

Transcription

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